Brussels, 26/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - Foreign Ministers of the EuroMed area (the EU plus the ten Mediterranean rim countries including Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon) are to meet on 30 November in The Hague for a mid-term conference to examine work carried out within the framework of the Barcelona Process. The conference is to be held in the Netherlands as it was not possible to organise it in Cairo, as had been suggested by the Dutch Presidency, as Egypt finally gave up the idea due to the fact that Israeli would be attending. The conference is in fact to commence on 29 November with a dinner for ministers who will freely exchange views on the state of the world and regions concerned, Europe and the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Iraq. On Sunday, senior officials will be meeting to fine-tune the last points on the agenda: - examination of the latest measures taken in common, interparliamentary dialogue, support for economic reforms and investment (which form the main axis of the "neighbour" approach), and dialogue between cultures through the almost effective setting in place of the Anna Lindt Foundation in Alexandria (whose operation no longer only depends on the promulgation of an Egyptian decree making the agreement on location official). According to customary procedure, the Troika and the EU will, on Monday, hold separate meetings during the morning with the group of Mediterranean Arab countries and with Israel. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom from the Israeli side, and Nabil Shâat, from the Palestinian side, are expected. Libya (yesterday's EUROPE, p.9), Mauritania and the various regional organisations (UMA, Arab League, etc.) will be present as observers. The Dutch Presidency innovates on the guest list by inviting the candidate countries to take part at the meeting. In addition to the presence of Romania or Croatia, that of Bulgaria is considered more significant for marking solidarity with a country whose nationals are up against the Libyan judiciary and for which the solution, from the European point of view, is subject to this country formally signing up to the Barcelona process.
One of the main points of the meeting will be the preparation of a special session to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Euro-Mediterranean dialogue launched by a joint declaration in November 1995 in Barcelona - where this solemn meeting, in principle at ministerial level, is precisely to be held. According to convergent sources, the intention would be to invite the Heads of State to the meeting if there is consensus on this initiative. In this context, it springs to mind that, with the Mediterranean, the EU has not yet held any "summit" meetings, although it has done so for almost all the regions of the world. The question will probably be resolved during the next (formal) session of the EuroMed ministerial Conference, in Luxembourg in May 2005. By then, the Commission foresees communicating to the Council a new policy paper which would more clearly define the strategic approach to be agreed with the countries of the region. The absence of such an approach is criticised by some partner countries, which are hoping for a more "global" and more "balanced" approach, between political, economic and financial commitments. One of the directions taken will be cooperation on security and defence. Meetings took a while to get going as the issue is a tricky one coming in the context of blocked talks between Israel and Palestine. In Brussels, however, there is hope that joint actions will be reached in the field of ESDP and under the aegis of COPS (Political and Security Committee) as the countries of the southern rim are already committed along this track (Morocco and Turkey in Bosnia).
The Dutch Presidency plans to make the ministerial session in The Hague an opportunity to underline the interest of Euro-Mediterranean dialogue at a time when the EU, in the context of its enlargement, its strengthened role in the world and the challenges it faces, such as security and the checking of migratory flows, seeks to intensify reciprocal engagements with the Mediterranean partner countries. The main instrument is the Barcelona process that will be strengthened, but not rivalled, by the Neighbour Policy. In the post-Arafat context, it is also a question of examining the conditions according to which the EU, in liaison with its Mediterranean partners including the main protagonists of the Middle East conflict, may act for a negotiated settlement to the conflict. The context is also that of "post 11 September" and the EU wishes to be vigilant when it comes to the quality of "dialogue between civilisations" of Europe and of the southern Arab rim, and to the ways for containing uncontrolled migratory flows. These two themes, together, pose the question of dialogue with the Muslims of Europe at a time when, it is observed on both sides, the host country is named and shamed for recent racist aberrations following the assassination of the film maker, Theo Van Gogh, by a member of the Dutch Muslim far right.
Neighbour Policy will be examined from the angle of setting up action plans on a country by country basis. Ministers will look at the results of technical negotiations already underway with Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan and which are practically over. In Israel, they are stumbling against the question of the commitment against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Mediterranean region, especially in the eastern part. Discussions have also begun with Egypt and Lebanon. Shortly before the end of the year or early 2005, the new Commission is expected to endorse results already reached by its negotiators and submit texts to the approval of the EU Council.
The Presidency, which also wishes to explore new ways to prepare the 10th anniversary of the declaration of Barcelona, in November 2005, hopes to encourage direct dialogue between partners and make their debates as informal as possible. It thus calls on ministers not to hold the traditional round the table discussion, preferring thematic interventions limited in duration. The meeting in The Hague, the Presidency states, should also give greater transparency to Euro-Mediterranean policy.