Brussels, 11/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - The subcommittee on human rights of the European Parliament held a hearing in Brussels on Tuesday 10 February under the chairmanship of Hélène Flautre (Greens, France), on the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). Attending the session were the director in charge of the Mediterranean and the Middle East for the European Commission - Toma Dupla del Moral, Michel Tubiana - a member of the executive committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) and Michael Emerson - an associate researcher with the Centre For European Policy Studies (CEPS). Egypt, the co-president of the UfM, was formally invited, but turned down the invitation.
Pasqualina Napoletano (PES, Italy), the rapporteur on the UfM (Union for the Mediterranean), opened the debate, by reiterating that the short plenary session, to be held in Brussels on 19 February, will have to vote on the report on this subject. She stated that human rights feature among the missions entrusted to the UfM, but voiced her concern at the reduced resources allocated to it and stressed the great importance of involving civil society and the social players. She indicated that her report contains a suggestion for the creation, "for the first time, of a Euromed Economic and Social Committee". Ms Napoletano also raised the question of upgrading relations with some of the countries covered by the neighbourhood policy, noting that some of these relations give only a low level of priority to the issue of human rights. She mentioned Israel, with its practices in Palestine, and the Western Sahara, and also the situation for freedoms in Libya. The EU must, she stated, give itself more effective instruments in order to obtain concrete results, rather than keep talking about common values and principles. She suggested working on the basis of the model of Council of Europe and creating a "proper legal framework, on the basis of international conventions which the partner countries have already signed".
Ms Flautre, for her part, reiterated her analysis of the situation in Tunisia, which she flagged up as an example in the region, regretting the fact that European commitments remain theoretical. She suggested that the same practice be adopted for the Mediterranean as the one agreed with the ACP countries, providing, first of all, for the holding of consultations with a country felt to be in the wrong, leading to the possibility of bringing sanctions against it. This view was shared with representative of the EMHRN, who called for the commitments to preserve human rights to be brought in in concrete and pointed the finger at "incoherence" in Euro Mediterranean policy. Mr Emerson gave a list of examples demonstrating the ineffectuality of European action in conflicts in the region (Gaza, Sahara), adding that his organisation is carrying out a study on radicalisation in the Mediterranean area, the conclusions of which will be published. The Spanish Socialist MEP, Raimon Obiols, criticised "the excess of realpolitik" in Euro Mediterranean politics.
Speaking on behalf of the European Commission, Mr Dupla del Moral reminded his audience that work within the UfM is currently frozen, but that the Mediterranean policy remains the way forward. He noted that "the notion of shared values is better shared". However he added, in the area of human rights, the European Commission prefers incentives over sanctions and would rather stick to a course that favours dialogue and provides encouragement to do more to improve the situation. In passing and referring to the role of the Commission in the UfM, Mr Dupla del Moral said: "I wonder about the structure of the co-presidency", which would not help to ensure optimum coordination. (F.B./trans.fl)