The eighth session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), meeting in Malta on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February, finished its work by adopting an action plan for 2017. It renewed its bureau by electing a co-president for the southern shore of the Mediterranean – Mohamed Boudra, the head of the Moroccan mayors' association. The European co-presidency is held by the president of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Markku Markkula.
ARLEM reaffirmed the role of the regions in implementing the European neighbourhood policy, focusing particularly on "sustainable and integrated urban development", on an energy policy linked to fighting climate change, and on the fostering of cross-border cooperation between neighbouring regions situated on both shores of the Mediterranean. The example of cooperation already underway between Sicily and the Tunisian regions was presented.
One of the key points of the programme, following on from the activities of the previous year, concerns European migration policies and those of the partner countries from the southern shore. These southern shore partner countries are all called upon to design and implement comprehensive policies ranging from control measures to development programmes in order to discourage migrant departures and to stamp out the people trafficking organised by criminal networks.
Focus on Libyan case. The case of Libya was highlighted, as it is considered the key point of the previous year's activity and one of the great priorities of 2017.
"Libya has strategic importance for Europe as a considerable number of developments in [its] situation have a direct impact on the EU and on its local communities", it was said during the presentation of the project to support the local Libyan authorities led by ARLEM (see EUROPE 11732).
As a country of origin and transit for migrants, Libya is a case-study the outcome of which will reportedly have a direct impact on European security in two respects: on the one hand, because of the migration challenge posed to this pivotal country in the central Mediterranean route; and on the other hand, because of the nature of the cooperation underway since the second ARLEM session (Nicosia, January 2016) with a list of large Libyan cities.
These cities are throughout the territory and include Tripoli, Benghazi, Zinten and Sebha. The CoR, which had already established contacts in 2015, has been operationally mandated by the Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) to finalise the support programme for Libyan mayors.
The goal is to support decentralisation, but the system (currently) remains centralised, despite the central government appearing every day increasingly incapable of assuming its duties, a report written for the ARLEM session states.
The practice is reportedly that of a sort of political ecumenism in the relationships between mayors, as it is between the mayors and those mandated by Europe, although some, like the representative from Benghazi, warn the EU against its support to Islamist forces.
"We avoid politicising our dialogue while focusing on services to the citizens" (such as water, roads, solid waste collection), although some sometimes try to politicise this task, the mayor of Tripoli (who chairs the group of Libyan municipal councillors) told EUROPE. This cooperation with the CoR has favoured the creation of a "local coordination", he added.
The initiative is financed by the EU, but no fixed allocation has been set, according to those responsible for the support body formed to manage the contacts and implementation of programmes. The choice has been made to integrate these support operations, led by European cities, into the existing financial instruments, EUROPE was told. On the substance, that is to say operational and political aspects, the programme is placed under the aegis of a specific ambassador to Libya (who is situated in Tunis for obvious reasons of security). (Original version in French by Fathi B'Chir)