Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-26-Speech-3-327"
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"en.20051026.22.3-327"2
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".
Madam President, the area around the Mediterranean is, of the EU’s neighbouring regions, the one which has perhaps had the most influence on the culture and history of the EU countries across the ages. Our language, our religion, the origin of our words and numbers have their roots in the Mediterranean region. The region is also strategically important, but most important of all, the countries which lie to the south of the Mediterranean are our neighbours.
But history is history. 1995 marked a turning point in relations between the European Union and its southern neighbours. It was then that the Barcelona Process began. Today, 10 years later, Mediterranean policy is one of the main priorities of EU foreign policy. We might therefore say that in this respect there has been considerable change and development.
Now, 10 years later, however, we should perhaps ask whether we need the Barcelona Process today. Europe is so different from what it was when the process started. I believe and am convinced that Parliament’s unanimous reply will be that we do indeed need this partnership. Europe needs it, we Europeans need it, and, hopefully, our partners need it, much more than they did when cooperation at this level began. Nevertheless, we require more effective cooperation, and, indeed, more cooperation. It pleases me to say that the European Parliament has always been a strong supporter of the Barcelona Process, and many individual Members of Parliament have done much to take this partnership forward.
Given this situation, I want to mention a few issues which I hope the Barcelona Process will focus on more closely in the future. One is education. There is a high level of illiteracy in our partner countries. We in our own countries stress the importance of education and skills; it is the only way we can succeed. There the situation is exactly the same. I would like in particular to emphasise how important it is for young girls and women to have an opportunity to get an education and for the EU to invest in the eventual eradication of illiteracy. We here in the EU like to stress how important functional democracy is, but before we can expect democracy to work, people have to know how to read. The ability to read is therefore important for democracy.
Secondly, I would like to raise the matter of economic growth and the reforms relating to it. The EU has actively supported economic integration and free trade, and is indeed the biggest trading partner with the individual partner countries. More than 50% of these countries’ trade is with the EU, while just 13% is with the United States of America. There is, however, a certain dilemma associated with this. The brisk trade that exists between the EU and the partner countries is not reflected in any increase in the EU’s political influence. 50% of the trade does not mean that we hold 50% of the influence.
I would also like to emphasise the importance of the work of the Anna Lindh Foundation. I hope that more time and effort will be invested in this in the years to come, because the dialogue between religions and cultures is important. Unfortunately, it has to be said that the Barcelona Process has not been entirely successful in this respect, and this needs to be put right.
Migration is one important dimension of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and today it seems that the problems are only increasing, so we also need to invest time and money in this area.
Finally, I would like to say that, as a representative of the Nordic region, it has been an agreeable experience working as rapporteur. I have learned a lot and I have also observed that that there is a need for dialogue between the cultures of Northern and Southern Europe. To my surprise, I have realised that at the moment there is not enough of it going on in the European Parliament either."@en1
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