Brussels, 09/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The follow-up committee of the Barcelona process, comprising top civil servants from the twenty-seven countries involved in the process (the EU plus 12 Mediterranean basin countries), decided during their meeting on April 5 in Brussels to accelerate preparations for the first meeting of the trade ministers that will take place on May 29 in Brussels. Work has advanced on the setting up of co-operation in judicial matters, under the title of "strengthening the rule of law"; and the creation of a network of museums in the Euro-Mediterranean area. Several museum curators made declarations, in particular the Stockholm museum director, considered to be the most active in this project.
The committee also held an exchange of views on MEDA2. The aim is not, as in the past, to hold a debate on the basic orientation or the mechanisms of this financial instrument, but rather to enable the European Commission to provide to the partner countries explanations on changes in its internal structure, which usually lead to changes in its operations.
During the meeting the prospects for an informal ministerial meeting at the end of the year under the Belgian presidency, after meetings of Palermo and Lisbon, were broached.
Lastly, France informed the participants of its initiative to bring together "law practiciens" and officials responsible for public order from the different countries, in order to promote practices that conform to international standards. The meeting is expected to be held in Galata Saray, Turkey, the date of which has not yet been set.
The group of high-level officials held on April 4 a preliminary exchange of views on the subject of judicial co-operation and on the content of the project. The Commission put forward what it calls a supporting document spelling out the ideas listed in its revitalization of the Barcelona process document. The Commission suggests that the legal systems in the individual countries should be better known, that there is a need for regular co-operation in the fight against terrorism and its support networks, to fight against trafficking in human beings, which boosts clandestine immigration, and against the organized crime networks that are involved in stolen vehicles, money laundering and the uncontrolled transfer of funds flowing from the "poor management of public monies". For the EU, this type of co-operation is fully in line with the conclusions of the Tampere European Summit, and the aim is to adapt them to the Euro-Mediterranean area. France and Sweden expressed their intention to call a meeting of high-level officials in Montpellier next June in order to fill out the details of this future co-operation.
In related issues, Moroccan officials have taken the initiative to make a presentation on the human rights situation in their country, which has come under criticism recently concerning press freedom. That would give shape to the commitment to strengthen "political dialogue", one of the basic objectives in the Barcelona process. Germany and Algeria have made contributions on the means to establish this political dialogue.
On the other hand, there was no talk of the stability and security charter, which has definitely been placed on the back burner. But the issues therein will not be abandoned and will be incorporated into the political dialogue, which is thought to offer more realistic possibilities.