Pino Arlacchi (S&D), in writing. - I voted for this report as I believe we need to support the financial institutions of the Republic of Tunisia in order to sustain the population and strengthen their path onto democracy. Thanks to the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, Tunisia was the first Mediterranean country to enter in a free trade area with the Union. Unfortunately Tunisia's economy has been significantly affected by the "Arab Spring" and by the regional unrest that followed, particularly in neighbouring Libya. These events and the weak global economic environment, in particular the recession in the euro area, Tunisia's main trading and financial partner, has had a very negative impact on the Tunisian economy, leading to a slowdown in growth and generating large external and budgetary financing gaps. For this reason I think that the Union's macro-financial assistance will aim to support the restoration of a sustainable external financing situation of the country thereby supporting its economic and social development.