Mr Patten confirms need to revitalise Barcelona process, whose assessment contains "clear successes, but also major problems"

Brussels, 07/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner for External Relations, Christopher Patten, presented on Thursday to the press the Communication to the Council that aims to revitalise the Euro-Mediterranean policy and to impress, according to the official English title, "reinvigorating" (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.7). The aim is to make the Euro-Mediterranean partnership a "major priority" in EU external actions. For the Commissioner, "the time is ripe" to give such a new impetus to the Barcelona process in which he sees, as an assessment, "clear successes, but real problems", citing among the latter: the future of agricultural trade, the human rights failings and, especially, the realisation that intra-Mediterranean trade ("south-south") remain very weak: less than 6% of global trade in the area. The treatment of this element furthermore constitutes one of the main innovations of the new move, which is to favour integration between partner countries and to incite them by concentrating most of the credits available to the encouragement of sub-regional cooperation. The move also aims to integrate into the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue cooperation in the new fields such as home affairs and justice and also immigration and, in a more general manner, to ensure greater "visibility" for this policy of proximity. The EU will maintain its "support for civil society and social programmes" as well as the promotion of human rights. though he feels that "establishing a automatic relationship between the respect for human rights and the allocation of MEDA resources is not easy. It is important to take into account the realities. The most important is that the budgetary authorities are aware of it - and this is the case with the European parliament - and that working groups be established" which will enable to deal with countries brought into question, he added: "its is with the countries which treat their citizens best that it is easiest to do business".

The MEDA credits should be concentrated on the projects of a regional nature, especially in the field of regional interest infrastructures, and in a general manner, the allocation of these resources will be directed towards the realisation of the objectives of the association agreements.