News Release
Chris Patten
No. 71-04
May 4, 2004
EU DEEPENS PARTNERSHIP AND SOLIDARITY WITH NON-EU COUNTRIES
AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN
The European Commission has approved over €1.2 billion in funding for
cooperation and external aid operations with the EU’s
Mediterranean partners. This package of assistance, to be disbursed during
2005-2006 under the EU’s
MEDA program, illustrates the Union’s commitment to supporting the development
of a zone of peace, prosperity and sustainable development with its Mediterranean
neighbors.
The MEDA program is the main financial instrument for the
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership launched in
Barcelona in 1995. The so-called Barcelona Process to date has overseen a
wide framework of political, economic and social relations between the Member
States of the European Union and 12 Partners of the Southern Mediterranean (Algeria,
Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Palestinian Authority,
Syria, Tunisia, Turkey). From 1995 to 2003, MEDA committed over €5.4 billion in
bilateral and regional co-operation programs.
EU External
Relations Commissioner
Chris Patten commented earlier today: "This decision illustrates the
extent of our political commitment to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: we put
our money where our mouth is. We are determined to continue developing the Barcelona
Process to foster democratic stability, security and sustainable development throughout
the Euro-Med region, against a background of increasing interdependency between
the EU and its Southern neighbors. I am confident the coming
Euro-Med Ministerial meeting in Dublin on 5-6 May will take us another step
forward in this direction. In parallel, we will soon outline our strategic thinking
to develop our Neighborhood Policy, which will build on the achievements so far
of the Barcelona Process."
The €1.2 billion will help advance implementation of the
Association Agreements with partner countries and finance projects such as
institutional and economic reform, human rights and democratization projects,
the fight against poverty and education and training. Algeria (€106 million),
Egypt (€243 million), Jordan (€110 million), Lebanon (€70 million), Morocco (€275
million), Syria (€80 million), and Tunisia (€144 million) and the region as a
whole (€215 million) will benefit from this assistance.
The Commission’s announcement comes ahead of a May 5-6 meeting in Dublin of
the Foreign Ministers of the enlarged EU and their Mediterranean counterparts
in framework of the Barcelona Process. The EU will use this occasion to underline
its solidarity with its southern neighbors, and seek to develop further co-operation
with a region convulsed by the volatile situations in Iraq and the Middle East.
Commenting before his departure for Dublin, Chris Patten, European Commissioner
for External Affairs, said: "Despite the negative effects of the stuttering
Middle
East Peace Process, we still maintain our aspiration of building a common
zone of peace, prosperity and progress in the Mediterranean region. Working on
the basis of partnership, consultation and ownership of the reform process by
modernizers in the region will give us more solid and sustainable results. Inducement
not imposition is the way forward. I look forward to friendly and fruitful discussions
with our partners."
Terrorist attacks
in Casablanca, Istanbul and most recently in Madrid reinforce the relevance of
the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership as the framework for solidarity and co-operation
between the EU and its Southern partners in tackling common security threats.
The Barcelona Process is now approaching its 10th year and remains the framework
for co-operation activities in the region. Despite the sombre background of violence
and conflict, recent developments in the Barcelona Process offer grounds for optimism.
Cooperation goes on and progress continues to be made. To complement the process
further, efforts to develop and enhance relations with Southern partners are being
made through the Neighborhood Policy. This initiative plans to build on the Barcelona
Process on the basis of jointly agreed action plans with each of the partners
which allow the EU offer a more intensive political dialogue and greater access
for partners to EU programs and policies including integration into the EU single
market.
The May 5-6 meeting will emphasize that Europe is the most significant player
in the Mediterranean region. The EU now spends almost €1 billion annually in the
region in its promotion of political, economic and institutional reforms and supporting
sustainable development. When European Investment
Bank (EIB) loans are added, the total is nearly €3 billion a year. The EU
is also the largest trading partner for the region. Association Agreements have
been signed by all partners except Syria with which one is being finalized; the
Agadir Agreement, concluded in March 2004 and signed by Morocco, Tunisia,
Jordan and Egypt, is a major step towards regional trade and economic integration;
the final administrative steps are being discussed to allow the recently established
Foundation for the Dialogue of Cultures become operational and
Libya has recently issued a number of positive messages concerning its wish
to become a full member of the Barcelona Process.
As the US and NATO separately outline their visions and strategies for the "Greater
Middle East" region, EU Ministers will use the Dublin meeting to explain
the linkages and consistencies between the
European Security Strategy and the ongoing work to develop a strategic partnership
with an area that extends from Morocco to Iran, the Mediterranean and the Middle
East regions. The close relationship with the Mediterranean is an essential element
of this strategy. It is complemented by the set of relations with the countries
east of Jordan.
Also today, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and
the World Bank signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing donor
coordination in the Middle East and North Africa/Southern Mediterranean region.
The agreement signed in Brussels by senior officials from the three institutions
will lead to a more focused and complementary approach at all levels from program
implementation to aid programming and overall policies.
Donors in the region are increasingly aware that major improvements are needed
in welfare for all citizens. The EU's Barcelona Process and Neighborhood policy,
the EIB's Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) and
the World Bank's regional strategy testify to their commitment and engagement.
To date, the donors' policy response has been to focus more closely on economic,
institutional and sectoral reform through broader engagement with the countries
and partnerships with civil society.
While each of today's signatories has its own mandate and domains of policy emphasis,
their roles are complementary. The European Commission, the EIB and the World
Bank are natural partners for development in the region, representing major financing
and technical capacity and strong collaboration at program and sectoral levels.
An aggregated approach would avoid duplication and competition of efforts while
facilitating focus on the respective strengths of the partners. The objective
of the Memorandum of Understanding is to enhance, structure and streamline the
coordination process further. For that purpose the agreement envisages institutional
coordination, coordination of technical work, jointly financed projects and a
joint progress review.
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Press Contacts:
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Anthony Gooch
202-862-9523
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Maeve O'Beirne
202-862-9549
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