Strasbourg, 17/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - The session of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) in Brussels on 26 and 27 March will be the last under the presidency of European Parliament President Josep Borrell, who is to be succeeded by the president of the Tunisian parliament. On Wednesday evening, during a plenary debate, President-in-Office of the EU Council Hans Winkler stressed the importance of the Assembly, which brings together “representatives of the peoples” on both sides of the Mediterranean and which, in his view, is “an ideal forum” for discussing matters such as the crisis set off by the publication of cartoons of Muhammad. The Anna Lindh Foundation (named after the Swedish foreign minister who was assassinated) has a crucial role to play in this respect, the Austrian secretary of State said, taking a stance in this context for strengthened contacts with the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and for an alliance of civilisations (an initiative of Spain and Turkey), which will be holding a meeting in Vienna, in May. Mr Winkler recalled, moreover, that EuroMed trade ministers are to meet this month, and that finance ministers will be gathering in June. Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner welcomed the prospect of a first EuroMed ministerial meeting on gender equality at the end of the year. She said the European Commission has launched into implementation of the five-year programme approved by the EuroMed summit last November in Lisbon. On the cartoon ruckus, she commented that it is a good thing to bring up the matter at the EMPA. It is a theme that the Arab League Summit in Khartoum, that she plans to attend, will no doubt also evoke, she added.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner also spoke of the tragic events in Jericho (see EUROPE 9153) exclaiming: “I fail to see how such action can improve the situation”. She denounced not only “public treatment” of prisoners by the Israelis and the hostage-taking but also the pillaging of the Commission offices by Palestinians. On Tuesday evening in Strasbourg, she said “I have had a good discussion with President Abbas, who is doing one of the most difficult jobs in the world”. She said she had told him the EU wishes to continue providing support for Palestinians but that “all future EU assistance will be reviewed in the light of the new Palestinian government's respect for the principles” that the Union has constantly affirmed, she added. British Conservative Edward McMillan-Scott, recalled that he had also met President Abbas in Strasbourg with his colleague, Véronique de Keyser. He was again critical of those (the UK and USA) that have so much to say about peace and democracy in the Middle East but who then fail in their duty, as in the prison in Jericho. The work of the EMPA must make it possible to strengthen the “parliamentary dimension” of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, he stressed. Pasqualina Napoletano reaffirmed European support for President Abbas, severely affected by the illegal events in Jericho, and welcomed the fact that the European hostages had been released in the meantime. The raid on Jericho prison was a “snub for us Europeans also”, and questions our policy, Belgian Socialist Véronique de Keyser said, adding that “seeing our offices devastated we are being told: you will not continue to finance the ungrateful Palestinians! That is the effect that the Jericho incidents have had”. French Green member Hélène Flautre, Chair of the EP sub-committee on human rights, said that the Euro-Mediterranean Assembly should discuss more about human rights and democracy (she pointed a finger at Algeria and Tunisia in passing). Luisa Morgantini (GUE/NGL), who predicted that “Israelis will not be in Brussels” as their general elections are to be held on 28 March, said that the Palestinians do not only need the EU's financial help but firm positions on the part of the EU also. Settlement of the conflict in the Middle East must be at the heart of the work done in the EMPA, Tokia Saïfi stressed for his part.
The cartoon ruckus was mentioned by Béatrice Patrie (French Socialist), heading the delegations for relations with Mashrek, and Ioannis Kasoulidis (EPP-ED, Cypriot) said: “stupidity is also entitled to express its views” in our countries. David Hammerstein Mintz (Greens/EFA, Spain) suggested for his part that a “committee of wisemen” be set up to examine the consequences of this affair. Spanish Socialist Carlos Carnero Gonzalez concluded on an optimistic note, saying that, with the Barcelona process, “we have a living, developing process”, and “we shall seek to have civil society on our side”. “Council and Commission, if you please, take part in our session!”, Mr Carnero Gonzalez exclaimed.