In their written questions, MEPs on the Committee on Foreign Affairs are proving curious as to how the Commissioner-designate for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, will implement the new plan for the Mediterranean and the new EU strategy for the Middle East, as requested in her mission statement (see EUROPE 13485/8).
“How has the New Agenda for the Mediterranean in 2021 really contributed to improve the situation, how will this New Pact (to be prepared by Ms Šuica) provide a better response to these problems, and how do you justify the need for a fuller-fledged Pact”, ask MEPs in their questions, obtained by Agence Europe.
They question the means that will be used to guarantee a participatory process including the Parliament and partner countries in the development of the strategy and the consideration of human rights in its implementation.
Ms Šuica is asked as well about the division of labour and the complementarity of her role with that of the High Representative of the Union concerning the Middle East and North Africa, and about the new strategy for the Middle East.
“What novelty would the new EU Middle East strategy constitute with respect to the existing Joint Strategy for Palestine, building on the Peace Day Effort of the previous Commission and aiming at ensuring a stronger diplomatic role for the EU in order to achieve a long-lasting peace based on the Two-State solution?”, ask the MEPs.
Parliament is also offering its assistance, “in particular through democracy support tools such as mediation, capacity-building and human rights initiatives”. It asks the Commissioner-designate more broadly how she intended to involve the European Parliament in her work.
With regard to external financing instruments, MEPs want to know how Ms Šuica intends to improve “the consistency, efficiency and transparency of assistance in the Southern Neighbourhood, applying strict conditionality and ensuring a genuine role of the European Parliament in the strategic steering of the external financing instruments”. They also want to know the Commissioner-designate’s position on the recent “dominant” use of macro-financial assistance in aid programmes granted to partners in the region.
The Subcommittee on Human Rights, for its part, is examining the application of human rights conditionality, particularly in the light of recent Memoranda of Understanding signed (Egypt, Tunisia, etc.), and more broadly on the promotion of human rights, democracy, the Rule of law and fundamental freedoms in relations with partners in the South.
Finally, the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is asking what measures Ms Šuica intends to take to ensure the effective implementation of ‘comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnerships’ with third countries in the region “with full respect for human rights”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)