Business circles denounce "lack of credibility" of Barcelona process, Euromed Trade Union forum insists on social and political dimension

Brussels, 22/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - On the sidelines of the Euro-Mediterranean ministerial conference that unfolded last week in Marseilles, the industrial and trade union circles adopted a position on the development of the "Barcelona process". Thus:

• Euro-Mediterranean business circles published a statement on the conditions for a successful partnership. Fully support the aims of the Barcelona process and the need to relaunch it, the Euro-Mediterranean business circles however regret its lack of credibility in public opinion following the results obtained. For them, the Euro-Mediterranean partnership must go through action of the field of companies. Thus they launched a call for the development of appropriate mechanisms for prior consultation of organisers recognised by business circles on the economic aspects of the Barcelona process.

Concerning the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean free trade area by 2010, the Euro-Mediterranean business circles renew their call notably in favour of: 1) the conclusion of Euro-Mediterranean association agreements; 2) the implementation of legislative and administrative reforms undertaken to create a favourable environment to the private initiative and investment based upon transparency and credibility; 3) joint efforts by European institutions and the States concerned for the creation or improvement of infrastructures necessary for South Mediterranean and Euro-Mediterranean development, 4) the improvement of the effectiveness of the resources dedicated to the economic and industrial partnership through a true involvement of representative industrial organisations in the defining of the industrial aspects of programmes financed in the framework of the MEDA regulation. They feel that the success of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership involves, other than economic integration, a significant cultural development towards a common model that both fully respects intercultural differences between the two regions and emphasises the experience of economic freedom. Finally the Euro-Mediterranean business circles call for a specific action programme, accompanied by a realistic timetable, enabling to assess the progress of the process and define adjustments and new measures.

• Euromed Trade Union Forum adopted a declaration underlining that "a balanced Euro-Mediterranean partnership must serve economic and social development". The Trade Union forum: 1) notes the near complete absence of the social dimension and the participation of trade union organisations at the level of the respective countries and the supranational level; 2) wants to intensify trade union cooperation and invites European governments to respect the rights of immigrant workers for the southern Mediterranean countries (free movement within the EU, education and vocational training); 3) notes that there is no stability in the social dimension; 5) invites the Euro-Mediterranean ministerial conference to do its utmost to relaunch cooperation and partnerships working towards social and economic development; 6) calls for a three way management of bilateral agreements between the EU and partner countries; 7) calls for a reinforcing of regional cooperation in view of true integration in the framework of globalisation; 8) invites the European governments and regional financial institutions to take concrete initiatives to lighten or cancel the debt of southern shore countries and for the conversion of this debt with investments, in the form of funds, in major infrastructure, in education and the training and this in complete transparency; 9) call for respect of international labour law; 10) calls for the Barcelona process to be made more balanced, effective and participatory.

The Trade Union Forum also adopted a "statement for peace" in which it "strongly regrets that the blocking of the territories has prevented Palestinian trade unionists from taking part in the trade union conference as they had strongly expressed their desire to do so" as well as "the move back and blocking of the peace process in the region". For memory, the Trade Union Forum for Euro-Mediterranean Development and Cooperation was set up on the initiative of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) as a joint instrument during the Trade Union Conference in Stuttgart (12-16 April 1999).