Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-05-Speech-4-009"
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"en.20080605.2.4-009"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I think I should speak French today, so that is what I will do.
Excuse me, Madam President, if I have spoken for too long, but I believe that this is a crucial subject, for me and for us all.
I would like to begin by thanking the European Parliament for having included this item on our relations with our Mediterranean partners in this sitting’s agenda. That has given rise to a debate on a subject that is vitally important for Europe and I would especially like to congratulate the European Parliament on its role in recent years because its interest in the Mediterranean has never waned. The Barcelona Process has enabled us to tackle numerous regional issues of strategic importance and, naturally, a number of political issues. I believe that we have achieved a great deal, although many common challenges remain, including security, environmental protection, ensuring sustainable energy supply, combating organised crime, controlling migratory flows and intercultural dialogue. In addition to this cooperation with our Mediterranean neighbours, I would like us to strengthen our understanding of one another and our interests, respect as well as mutual trust.
In March the European Council invited the Commission to redefine the modalities of the ‘Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean’ and on 20 May the Commission adopted a communication underlining the central role of the Mediterranean, its historical and contemporary importance, and the considerable challenges of our common future. However, I should point out that we still have the European Neighbourhood Policy of course, which is a bilateral policy while the other is a regional policy. We also need to take account of the fact that the existing action plans effectively implement the decisions taken by the various sectoral ministerial meetings. When we think about the Mediterranean, we think about the cradle of the three monotheistic religions, the melting pots of civilisation and culture, migration and trade. We think about the history of the Mediterranean, a history that is inseparable from the history of Europe. The Mediterranean Basin is effectively the bridge between the North and the South, the East and the West, and, situated at the point where three continents converge, it is more than just a border for the European Union. Stability in that region is crucial for our security and our prosperity, not to mention the security and prosperity of our Mediterranean neighbours and friends. It is only through determined and realistic political action, combined with a strong and tireless commitment and constructive dialogue, that we will be able to tackle these challenges together.
The Commission has always called for a stronger, more open and more constructive relationship with our Mediterranean partners, and we are putting forward concrete proposals to achieve this.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to outline for you today the main observations and proposals in the communication that I presented to the Commission. The Barcelona Process has unfortunately suffered as a result of the ongoing conflicts in the Southern Mediterranean and, at times, from the lack of cooperation between the various partners. A positive change is taking place, however, and I saw this myself during my recent visits to the region. The time has come to take advantage of a renewed political will to breathe new life into our cooperation to ensure that it is more balanced and more in tune with our fellow citizens. In our opinion, there are three key objectives.
The first is to upgrade the political level of the European Union’s relationship with its Mediterranean partners; the second is to provide more co-ownership to our multilateral relations; and the third is to make these relations more concrete and more visible through additional regional and sub-regional projects, relevant for the people of the region. These measures would bring great added value. Naturally, private funds will come into play: hitherto only the Community sector has been involved, so the private sector will now play a role. We will of course have to see whether this really works, but that is the idea in any case. It is therefore essential to upgrade the level of our relations. The Commission proposes organising biennial summits of the heads of state or government. It would be difficult to understand why we hold regular summits with our major partners throughout the world without having a forum for talks between the EU heads of state and our Mediterranean neighbours and friends. In addition, the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly has reaffirmed itself as the parliamentary dimension of the Barcelona Process. It provides a framework of debate, open dialogue and free exchange of views. It gives impetus to the partnership by adopting resolutions and recommendations, and it will be the legitimate parliamentary representation of the Union for the Mediterranean. The Commission unreservedly supports the strengthening of the role of the Parliamentary Assembly in relations with the Mediterranean partners. Increased co-ownership is also essential. Over the past few years, one important shared belief was that the agenda of the Barcelona Process was influenced by the fact that the EU presidency also held the presidency of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
Three proposals have received the general support of the partners: the establishment of a co-presidency, with one co-president from a Southern country and one from a Northern country; the establishment of a Joint Permanent Committee, based in Brussels and responsible for governance; and the establishment of a secretariat responsible for the promotion of the projects. Finally, as Robert Schuman said, we must set up concrete projects ‘which first create a
solidarity’. It is the quality of the projects that we carry out together that will guarantee the success of the initiative. That is what enables the citizens to feel the force of the links that unite both shores of the Mediterranean. The projects must add structure to the region and provide for the participation of non-State actors, civil society and businesses. Europe must act as a lever for private capital, an intermediary. The Commission is provisionally proposing the promotion of coastal motorways, the linking-up of the trans-Maghreb Motorway, solar energy and de-pollution of the Mediterranean. Of course, this list is non exhaustive and other projects will follow.
In conclusion, Madam President, I would like to emphasise one point that, in my view, is crucial. This renewed cooperation with our partners in the South must in no way detract from our solid links and policies with our neighbours to the East. On the contrary, in addition to our efforts to strengthen the individual links with our friends in the East, the Commission is enhancing regional cooperation with its ‘Black Sea Synergy’ initiative. We will soon publish the annual report to celebrate the first anniversary of its launch and at that stage we will be able to discuss the recent Polish and Swedish initiative. Through these efforts, in the East and in the South, we will be able to stick to our goal: enhancing our relations through flexible cooperation instruments focusing on the priorities of our partners.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Paris summit is a real opportunity to bring a new dimension to our relations with our Mediterranean partners. Although we cannot ignore the lessons of the past, we must not remain a prisoner of them. The ‘Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean’ initiative is going to launch a new era in our relations with our Southern neighbours, a new partnership, based on successful elements of the Barcelona Process, with a view to moving forward together to achieve our common objectives of peace, democracy and prosperity."@en1
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