Brussels, 01/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Thursday of two resolutions on the Euro-Mediterranean Barcelona Process, the European Parliament made a series of proposals aimed at giving it greater vitality and magnitude at a time when it continues to suffer from the deadlock in the Middle East Peace Process. The Parliament takes a stance on:
(1) The report by Cristiana Muscardini (Alleanza nazionale, Italy) on the EU Common Strategy on the Mediterranean region, as laid down by the Feira European Council of 19 June 2000. In its long 61-point resolution the Parliament mainly states that:
- The EU must guarantee financing of the Union's Mediterranean policy that will serve to restore the correct relationship between the funds earmarked for the central and eastern European countries. According to the EP, it is unacceptable that the strategy should completely fail to mention the overall budgetary framework to be used to finance the new strategy paper. Furthermore, the EU demands that a "larger sum be allocated to MEDA" than the financial package of EUR 5.35 billion for the period 2000-2006. It calls for access to the MEDA programme not to be subject to the signing of the partnership agreements.
- The Council must define strategic actions for the environment, which, at the present time, does not contain any such initiatives.
- The values so dear to the EU "would be strengthened in the newly-developing democracy in the Yemen Republic through involvement of Yemen as an observer in the Barcelona Process.
The plenary adopted several amendments by Ms Muscardini herself, insisting more on the contribution of social partners to the process, and calling on the EU to take measures to encourage partner countries to initiate the economic and cultural initiatives needed with a view to preventing the brain drain towards the more industrialised countries. She recommended that the Commission ban EU countries from exporting towards their southern partners animal feed made with substances banned in Europe and set in place controls making it possible to verify whether such animal feed manufactured in Mediterranean countries and exported to the EU contains substances banned in the EU.
(2) The report by Sami Naïr (Socialist Group, France) on the Commission's communication of 8 September entitled "reinvigorating the Barcelona Process". In its 74-point resolution, the EP mainly requests that:
- Council and Commission should consider eventually setting up an Association of Euro-Mediterranean States and also, renew its call for the association agreements to be replaced eventually by a single multilateral agreement. Council and Commission should also consider whether they might draw up an agriculture-oriented Euro-Mediterranean development policy. According to the EP, moreover, the Commission must, in the context of its internal reform, strengthen the human resources intended for the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
- A sustainability study be carried out in order to assess the mainly social and environmental impact of the creation of a free trade area between the two sides of the Mediterranean. In addition, the EU should envisage negotiations on a revision of agricultural access schemes and consider converting the planned free-trade area into a genuine common market encompassing goods of all kinds.
- The Commission should create a migration monitoring centre to ensure the permanent and detailed follow-up of all questions linked to migratory flows in the Mediterranean region. With the adoption (235 in favour, 222 against and 56 abstentions) of an amendment by the United Left/Nordic Greens Left, the Parliament invites the EU governments to grant migrants residing in the Union equal treatment regarding economic and social rights and recognition of civil, cultural and political rights, mainly the right of vote at local and European elections.
- The role of Mediterrranean capital cities must be expressly recognised and their relations encouraged, through decentralised programmes concerning specific urban problems.
Debate: considerable disappointment and frustration but Patten and Danielsson stress potential of Euro-Mediterranean process
During the debate, both rapporteurs stressed the disappointment caused by the Barcelona Process mainly in certain chapters: human rights, role of the civil society, security, culture … To be effective, the EU Common Strategies must be "realistic and realisable", affirmed Cristiana Muscardini (see EUROPE of 25/1, p.14, on the subject of Swedish President paper on implementation of this strategy). Mrs Muscardi underlines certain failings, notably in terms of the environment, and insisted on a better implementation, by placing emphasis, among others, on the respect for cultural specificities and on the "total ban on exporting, in a shameful manner" into third Mediterranean countries the products banned in Europe due to their danger. As for Sami Nair, French member of the Socialist group, he noted that, only the completion of a free trade area "has been the object of an effective beginning of implementation", while underlining that the liberalisation, "in the context of deep inequality", cannot guarantee economic development. The "EU budgetary transfers" towards the countries of the Southern Mediterranean are of roughly Euro 1 billion per year, but the trade deficit of these countries with the EU totals EUR 34 billion per year, stated Mr Nair, for whom the assessment of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership is "very modest". In particular, the rapporteur felts that "the common management" of migrations must be at the heart of the process, and that in this context it requires in particular the possibility of a "temporary migration" and a "specific visa for the actors of the partnership". Furthermore, he called for a "reform of the management of the MEDA programme", by asserting that its under use is mainly due to the "inability" of the Commission to manage it effectively. As for Mrs Napoletano (Democratici di sinistra), she raise the issue of the Western Sahara, feeling that there presently exists "an area for European initiative" aiming to "close this last colonial conflict". The main merit of the Nair report is to "temper the optimism shown by the Commission", asserts the French Green Mrs Flautre, who criticised a liberalisation of trade that takes place, she said, under the conditions agreed to by the EU, while Mr Alussandrakis, Greek member of the United Left group, reproached the EU for only wanting, under the pretext of "shared prosperity", to conquer the markets, and also "export the aggressiveness of ESDP". The member of the Bonino List Mr Turchi welcomed the honesty of the two rapporteurs, by reproaching in particular the EU for a "certain lack of political lucidity", and the British Conservative Mr Dover insisted him to on a better use of MEDA, while feeling that Commissioner Patten is doing his utmost for the tax payers money to be spent wisely. As for the FPÖ member Mr Kronenberger, he spoke in favour of the reconciliation of Libya with the Euro-Mediterranean process, while the British Conservative Mr Beazley hoped that the Euro-Mediterranean and the EU enlargement processes are "complementary" and coordinated between themselves. Mr Martin, French member of the EPP/ED group, rapporteur on the EU/Egypt agreement, welcomed the finalisation of this agreement in the last few days, and insisted on the parliamentary dimension of the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, by welcoming that the Euro-Mediterranean parliamentary forum is organised in a similar manner to the joint ACP/EU parliamentary assembly. Furthermore, Mr Martin called for the Euro-Mediterranean policy to be "separated" from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Council President, Mr Danielson, underlined for his part the "true potential" of the Barcelona process which, he underlined, can only be properly benefited from if all the partners cooperate between themselves. For the Swedish Presidency, there is no opposition between enlargement and cooperation with the Mediterranean, said Mr Beazley. Moreover, he felt that the negotiation of the association agreements must be accelerated, and, in answering the Italian Christian Democrat Mr Gemelli, he underlined the importance of the dialogue with Islam.
As for the Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, he underlined that the move, which is at the basis of the Euro-Mediterranean process, remains valid. Furthermore, he felt that the Ministers gathered last November in Marseilles had acted well in not seeking at all costs an agreement on the future Peace and Stability Charter, as "it was not the right moment"; however, significant progress have been achieved on this text, and it requires "capitalising" on these results to achieve a true significant Charter, he noted, while adding that nothing prevents posing, while awaiting the adoption of the Charter, the fundamental problem of human rights. Furthermore, Mr Patten said he was encouraged by the progress in the negotiation of association agreements with Algeria, Lebanon and Syria, while he regretted the "lamentably slow" rhythm of the ratification of these agreement in the EU countries, citing the example of the agreement with Jordan, which has been signed for the last three years , but not yet entered into force. As for the criticisms over the implementation of the MEDA programme, Mr Patten recalled that the Commission intends reforming the regulation, and that the rate of credit use is starting to improve, even if there remains much to be done. Finally Mr Patten also admitted the importance of civil society on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, but questioned the way in which to do so, feeling that the organisation of micro-projects is apparently not the right one.. In passing, Mr Patten drew attention to a problem that is too often presented in the Parliament - that of the MEPs who ask a question and leave before having heard the answer - by saying that "it may be discourteous on my part" to answer people who have been prevented from remaining to listen to me.