MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

16.2.2005

to wind up the debate on the statement by the Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Pasqualina Napoletano and Carlos Carnero González
on behalf of the PSE Group
on the Mediterranean policy

B6‑0095/2005

European Parliament resolution on the Mediterranean policy

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Articles 17, 18, 21 and 22 of the EU Treaty,

–  having regard to its many resolutions on the Mediterranean policy of the European Union,

–  having regard to the Barcelona Declaration and work programme of 28 November 2005 adopted at that Conference,

–  having regard to the conclusions of the ministerial meetings held in Malta on 15-16 April 1997, Palermo on 3-4 June 1998, Stuttgart on 15-16 April 1999, Marseilles on 15-16 November 2000, Brussels on 5-6 November 2001, Valencia on 22-23 April 2002, Crete on 26-27 May 2003, Naples on 2-3 December 2003, Dublin on 5-6 May 2004, and The Hague on 29-30 November 2004,

–  having regard to the conclusions of the Civil forums organised in parallel with those ministerial meetings,

–  having regard to the creation of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA),

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the Mediterranean is of strategic importance to the European Union and a cohesive policy is needed to tackle the many common challenges of peace, stability, security, mutual understanding and combating the trade in human beings, including illegal immigration, and to achieve the objective of creating an area of shared prosperity,

B.  whereas the aim of the Barcelona Process is to establish a multilateral free trade area by 2010,

C.  whereas there is a need for the countries of the EuroMed zone to develop active cooperation in the fields of security and the combating of illegal migration and terrorism in all the forums in which they meet (Barcelona Process, 5+5 Dialogue between the countries of the Western Mediterranean), at a multilateral level, not least within the UN and in the contacts established by NATO with the countries to the south and east of the Mediterranean,

D.  whereas Euromediterranean civil society has an important role to play in achieving the objectives set out in the Barcelona Declaration, and whereas the constructive stance adopted by the forums of non-governmental organisations regularly held on the fringes of official interministerial meetings is to be welcomed,

E.  with reference to the role of the European Union in the Middle East peace process and the economic programme running in parallel with it, and stressing the political duty to give the greatest possible visibility to the European contribution to peace and stability in this neighbouring region,

F.  whereas the association agreements recommend the initiation of a political dialogue based on mutual understanding and respect and aim to foster democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law and good governance,

G.  whereas ministerial conferences since the meeting in Stuttgart have consolidated what had already been achieved and defined a practical programme of working methods,

H.  whereas the EU has defined a new 'neighbourhood' policy for the enlarged European Union,

I.  whereas recent years have seen the smooth implementation of the MEDA programme and the creation of FEMIP,

J.  whereas the Commission intends to introduce a new 'neighbourhood' financial instrument as from 2007,

K.  in view of the commitment of the partner countries signatory to the association agreements with the EU to invest in South-South cooperation, as finalised in the Agadir Agreement,

L.  whereas the Barcelona process has been slow to bear fruit, for reasons that are not only technical (cumbersome administrative procedures, working methods and mechanisms for giving effect to the financial programmes) but also political (difficulties linked with the stalling of the Middle East peace process, etc.),

M.  recognising the successes achieved previously with the signing of seven association agreements with Tunisia, Morocco, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria and Lebanon and of the Interim Agreement with the Palestinian Authority, but concerned at the long delays in ratifying these agreements on the part of the Member States, which is delaying their entry into force and implementation,

N.  whereas it has been difficult to frame a Charter for Peace and Stability, the draft version of which has been shelved, and regretting that the Barcelona Process has not become the focal point for defining the bases of common action in this field, and that the references in this area are the advances made in other forums;

O.  whereas the security of the entire region is becoming an increasingly vital force for the development of cooperation policies and dialogue in the light of the impact of problems linked to terrorism and to regional, ethnic and religious conflicts;

P.  whereas the political dialogue envisaged has yet to genuinely produce tangible results everywhere in the region, regretting that the human rights aspects of the Barcelona process unfortunately continue to be insufficiently developed and the situation in many countries shows no sign of improvement, and deploring the lack of respect of the human rights clause contained in the Euro-Mediterranean agreements;

Q.  whereas the building of a Euro-Mediterranean area cannot be confined solely to the creation of a free-trade area,

R.  noting that implementation of the neighbourhood policy takes the form of the possibility of concluding separate action plans on a country-by-country basis, and highlighting the need to ensure that a global and cohesive approach is maintained throughout the region in order, among other things, not to discourage the development of cooperation between the partner countries themselves,

S.  noting, in this regard, the absence of an overall strategy to equip the Euro-Mediterranean partnership with a quasi-institutional framework and to bring together the heads of state of the region for this purpose;

T.  noting the low level of investment, and especially of private investment, in the Mediterranean, when according to various analyses the region is a source of great potentials, and that it has to contend with major obligations arising from deadlines under the world trading system (e.g. in the field of textiles);

U.   whereas substantial Community support is needed to accompany the efforts being made by each of the Mediterranean partners to achieve economic transition and lessen the social impact of the opening of the markets and to foster regional and sub-regional integration in the Mediterranean,

V.  whereas there is a need to ensure that cooperation between these countries and the EU, and in particular the opening of their markets to competition from European products, has no adverse social impact;

W.  whereas in the Euromediterranean region the development of the social and economic area must be accompanied by a planning policy aimed at balanced, sustainable, and integrated spatial development of the Euromediterranean area,

X.  firmly convinced that the creation of the EMPA should reinforce the global dialogue between the two regions,

1.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to revitalise in an effective and sustainable manner the Euro-Mediterranean partnership agreed in Barcelona in November 1995, and considers the lack of progress made to constitute a potential crisis factor in the region that might undermine the political role the European Union wishes to play and its efforts to establish stability in the region;

2.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to frame, in the context of relations with the Mediterranean partners, concrete proposals for moving forward on security-related issues, by drawing on elements deriving from the European Security Strategy and on the crisis management instruments already created within the Commission;

3.  Calls on the Commission to frame the new 'neighbourhood' financial instrument transparently and in cooperation with the partner countries and the relevant European Parliament and EMPA committees so that it is genuinely capable of boosting development and attracting investment;

4.  Urges the Commission to assume its responsibilities by invoking respect for the human rights clause set out in the agreements and by addressing the issue of respect for these fundamental rights in both multilateral and bilateral negotiations;

5.  Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote respect for social and trade union rights in the implementation of its financial and technical assistance to the partner countries;

6.  Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote respect for women's rights in the implementation of its financial and technical assistance to the partner countries;

7.  Undertakes to draw up regular reports to verify, in the application in these policies, consistency in the Union's principles and strategies vis-à-vis the Mediterranean region;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the Mediterranean countries signatory to the Barcelona Declaration and the President of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.