It would not be reasonable to expect immediate, significant results from the Euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting to be held in Valencia on Monday. The political situation resulting from the dramatic events in the Middle East does not allow for that. It is already close to miraculous that the session should take place, with high-level participation both from Arab countries and Israel. Failing spectacular decisions, one may nevertheless hope that the two sides should agree on a new direction in their co-operation, reviewing not the fundamental objectives enshrined in the Barcelona Declaration (close partnership in the respect of shared values) but the means of attaining them.
Reasonable realism. Except possibly in one respect, the European Commission's "fifteen recommendations" already represent a welcome exercise in reasonable realism (see this section dated 6 March), and similar movements have been observed within other institutions (the Morillon/Cohn Bendit Report in the European Parliament, the Opinion of Economic and Social Committee). By setting out what he expected from the meeting in Valencia (see our bulletin of 17 April, p.3), EU Council President Josep Piqué demonstrated that he agreed with the new direction: to confer on the partnership greater substance and coherence, granting priority to reforms that encourage investments, insist on integration between Mediterranean countries themselves, develop infrastructures and inter-connection between Europe and the Mediterranean region, strengthen the social dimension of the partnership, work out a common code of conduct against terrorism. In my opinion, it is significant that, for the first time, a Council president has not mentioned the Euro-Mediterranean free-trade area for 2010 among the goals. The Commission continues to mention it, through laziness or demagogy, and the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee maintains it, in contradiction, moreover, with the reasoning and observations developed in the very text of the Opinion. But, among ministers, Hubert Vedrine broke the taboo on 13 January by declaring that for now the goal of free trade was unachievable. For my part, I believe that it is quite simply harmful to both parties; it can always be kept on hold: one day, who knows….
I no longer feel isolated in this conviction. A report by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris (CCIP), based on a survey among businesses, says no different. The rapporteur, Ms. Elisabeth Hervier, reaches the conclusion that today it is more important to enhance the attraction of the Mediterranean area than implement a free-trade project, "otherwise the risks linked to economic and commercial exchanges could worsen". The partnership must depend on "genuine economic and political reforms in third Mediterranean countries" and "any move towards the free-trade project must be conditional on the actual setting up of areas of integration" between the Mediterranean countries themselves. Sure, the CCIP has no political responsibilities. The European authorities, who do have, must accompany the new direction with a series of initiatives aimed at facilitating the desired development and progress. The stances of both the Spanish Presidency of the Council and the President of the Commission leave no doubt as to this. Romano Prodi has called for more means to achieve the partnership and, at the same time, new structures for political and cultural dialogue, in a comprehensive strategy exceeding the economic and commercial aspects.
A few simple ideas. On the European side, ideas are therefore beginning to become clear. Does that go for the other side? We shall see in Valencia. Third Mediterranean countries must take note of some simple ideas, even though they may be disagreeable in part: there can be no common Euro-Mediterranean economic area if they do not fist achieve it among themselves; social progress does not only concern conditions of access, residence and work that the EU can offer nationals of Mediterranean countries, but foremost progress they achieve themselves, especially regarding the situation of women; private European investments will not arrive as long as conditions are not favourable and markets open (it is not by chance that barely 2% of direct European investment flows abroad are directed at the Mediterranean basin).
The Euro-Mediterranean session of Valencia may be considered a success if:
- it acknowledges that the global approach of a common Euro-Mediterranean economic area is unrealistic and admit the possibility of beginning by seeking out certain objectives of the partnership with separate groups of countries, instead of pursuing a global approach, identical for all;
- it places emphasis on possible and desirable co-operation, with a balance between the backing (to be announced immediately) of Europe and the co-operation of Mediterranean countries for other objectives: combating terrorism, controlling immigration, political dialogue. (F.R.)