Brussels, 15/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - Tunisia and the EU decided at the end of their 10th Association Council on Monday 14 April in Luxembourg, to begin a more active phase in their cooperation. This will be focused on economic recovery in Tunisia and, in the longer term, on its solid links with the European internal market as a means of promoting the trade in products and services and the exchange of the two parties' respective citizens.
Tunisia has seen its economy and finances worsen but it has obtained assurances of European support. This support has been increasing, in comparison to the past, in an effort to tackle current difficulties and prepare for the future by way of a raft of reforms that the EU is encouraging and continuing to support.
The Association Council, chaired by Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs Dimitris Kourkoulas, Stefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, together with Tunisian Minister for Foreign Affairs Fayçal Gouia (Ed: the minister for foreign affairs cancelled at the last minute, which has led to a various interpretations regarding the degree of Tunisia's satisfaction with the EU), “sealed a political agreement… on an action plan”. The modalities for this plan are explained as follows.
A “template” (proposal for the detailed measures) was agreed to help guide cooperation up until 2017. A joint press release illustrates the shared feeling expressed during the final press conference: “The Privileged Partnership action plan provides an ambitious roadmap, expressing Tunisia's determination to develop reforms in all the different areas”.
During the press conference, the heads of both delegations affirmed their convergence of views on a number of points. Tunisia set out developments in its domestic situation and “highlighted its expectations of the EU in terms of political and economic support, as well as its priorities in trade and mobility”. In response, the EU recognised “the significant socio-economic… and security challenges” Tunisia has to face and assured the country of its “increasing support”. The EU also reasserted its cautious line and said that it “remains convinced that Tunisia's economic and social prospects largely depended on how political transition goes, consolidation of its institutions and banking sector, modernisation of management of public finances and adoption of structural reforms that require continued dialogue between the social partners”.
The two parties highlighted the different areas of “construction” that had been opened: negotiating a “roadmap” to provide the promised “privileged partnership” with a direction towards a deep and comprehensive free-trade agreement (DCFTA) and an agreement on mobility. They also discussed co-operation funding prospects, including granting a loan for macro-financial assistance of €300 million that will be submitted to the European Parliament for its approval on 17 April in Strasbourg.
The Association Council saw procedures launched for adopting two additional protocols to the association agreement between the EU and Tunisia, with regard to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, and a framework agreement opening up Tunisia's access to EU programmes and agencies.
Civil society mobilises against EU and IMF over debt
Tunisian civil society has mobilised against the country's increasing debt, particularly against the EU, IMF and other international finance bodies. A meeting took place on Saturday 12 April in Brussels, which brought together several civil society associations to “fight against the dictatorship of debt”. One of their main targets is the macro-financial aid of €300 million promised by the EU and which will be put to a vote at the EP. This loan risks “making the country's debt worse” according to one of the movement's leading figures, Fathi Chamkhi, the official spokesperson for the Rassemblement pour une alternative nationale du développement (Raid) and founder of ATTAC-Tunisia. He described the EU and IMF imposed conditions as “dangerous”. Demands from civil society range from a moratorium on Tunisia's debt, to writing it off completely. Some MEPs are fighting for the same goal. Marie-Christine Vergiat and Paul Murphy (GUE/NGL) are holding a press conference in Strasbourg on 16 April, which will be attended by Chamkhi. (FB)