Paris, 07/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - Michel Rocard, French Socialist MEP, announced on Friday morning, 7 September, when speaking on radio France Inter, that he declined the mission President Nicolas Sarkozy wished to confer upon him to build the “Mediterranean Union”. Sarkozy had hoped Rocard would agree to be chairman of a “Mediterranean Commission”. This “Union” of Mediterranean rim countries, around the European, southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean, was proposed by Nicolas Sarkozy during his presidential campaign. The initiative comes up against strong reservation from the European Community, especially from the European Parliament (see EUROPE 5/7/2007). It is nonetheless supported, albeit with some reticence, by the Mediterranean members (Spain, Malta and Italy) that wish to strengthen their specific cooperation within the EU (see EUROPE of 10/7/2007). The risk of duplication with the Barcelona Process and with European Neighbourhood Policy, and exclusion of non-Mediterranean rim member states from dialogue with the Mediterranean, is the reason for Rocard's refusal.
Mr Rocard explained: “The president phoned me to put the post of chairman of a Mediterranean Commission to me. (…) I looked at what that would mean. Given the way things have started, there could be the risk of conflict with the European institutions”. This method, he said, “is harmful and at any rate paralysing and I suggested to the president that he should do things differently, not jump stages, and negotiate first of all with the European institutions. The president did not like this way of doing things”. “It will be someone else” chairing the Commission, he concluded, without revealing more about the content or the method of the proposal made to him. (fb)