Final Declaration of the Second
Session of the EURO- MEDITERRANEAN Parliamentary Forum
(Brussels, 8 and 9 February 2001)

 

  1. The 2nd session of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Forum was held in Brussels on 8 and 9 February 2001 and was attended by parliamentarians representing the parliaments of the Mediterranean countries participating in the Barcelona process, the national parliaments of the Member States of the European Union and the European Parliament;
  2. The participating members first welcome the fact that this second session is being held at a time when the need for dialogue and cooperation in every area of the partnership is greater than ever, because of the various conflicts and crises affecting the process initiated at Barcelona in 1995;
  3. The participants agree that the Euro-Mediterranean Forum will meet annually and will constitute a genuine forum for exchanges of views between parliamentarians of the European Union and of the Mediterranean countries, with a view to giving fresh impetus to, and developing, the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. This is why they decide to set up a permanent body consisting of Members of the European Parliament, of the national parliaments of the Member States and of the parliaments of the Mediterranean partner countries to enable work to continue between sessions.
  4. The participants in the Forum regret that the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership has not satisfactorily fulfilled all the expectations aroused when it was launched in Barcelona in 1995;
  5. The discussions at the Forum concern the three aspects of the partnership; the need to make progress with them in a dynamic, balanced and complementary manner was again stressed;
  6. Much of the discussion at the second session of the Forum also concerns the initiatives and documents presented last year by the various European institutions and, in particular, the Common Strategy on the Mediterranean adopted by the European Council at Feira on 19 June 2000, the Commission’s communication, ‘Reinvigorating the Barcelona process’ and the conclusions of the 4th Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers held in Marseilles on 15 and 16 November 2000;
  7. The contributions presented by the various Mediterranean partners and the recommendations and positions adopted by the various parliaments have also been amply presented and taken into account, including the Final Declaration of the 1st session of the Euro-Mediterranean Forum held on 27 and 28 October 1998 in Brussels;

    8. The second session of the Euro-Mediterranean Forum,

    A. The need for a new vision of the future for the Euro-Mediterranean region
  8. Is in favour of establishing a comprehensive partnership based on the approach adopted in the Barcelona Declaration, taking account, in every case, of the mutual interests of the parties and setting out a genuine strategic perspective for the whole of the region;
  9. Reminds the States which are partners in the Barcelona Process of the need to establish an external policy for the region which accords it the importance it deserves and which takes account of its geopolitical significance and of the ties created by geography and by a long shared history;
  10. On the eve of the enlargement of the European Union, points out the need for Europe to turn to the countries of the southern Mediterranean and to strengthen their mutual cooperation in the context of the partnership;

    11.  

     

    B. The new common strategy of the European Union for the region
  11. Notes the adoption at Feira on 19 June 2000 of the new common strategy for the Mediterranean region, but regrets that the partner States were not much more closely involved in drafting this common strategy;
  12. Considers that the new strategy must lead to the establishment of an area of peace and stability based on political partnership and economic and commercial cooperation and the human and cultural dimension; it must also lead to the formation of a region of shared prosperity by means of the gradual establishment of a free-trade area between the European Union and its partners and among the partners themselves, and to better understanding between the peoples of the region and the emergence of a more active civil society;

    13. C. The need to impart fresh impetus to the Barcelona Process

  13. Reaffirms that strict respect for human rights, individual liberties and democratic principles as fundamental elements in the creation of an area of peace, stability and sustainable economic development in the Euro-Mediterranean region is essential to the Barcelona Process;
  14. Gives its support to the strengthening of a Euro-Mediterranean partnership in which solidarity should play a far greater role and which should be far more effective than at present. This partnership should also be based on respect for national sovereignty and on justice, mutual trust and democratic parliamentary dialogue; in this context the Parliamentary Forum intends to play a much more active role in order to counteract the excessively intergovernmental approach of the current process and to integrate to a greater extent the views of public opinion in the process;
  15. The Forum takes the view that the progress made in the text of the Euro-Mediterranean association remains insufficient and calls on all the governments of the States which are parties to the Barcelona Process and on the institutions concerned to step up their efforts to improve financial and technical assistance, to impart fresh impetus to political cooperation and to do everything in their power to make full use of all the opportunities offered by the new MEDA II programme;
  16. Also calls for the revised Barcelona Process not to establish any hierarchy among the three current fields for action and for the qualitative importance of social, cultural and immigration aspects to be equivalent to that assigned to economic and political aspects;

    17. D. The Middle East conflict and peace process and their impact on the Barcelona Process
  17. Since the Middle East conflict and the peace process are already on the Forum's agenda, the Forum unanimously deplores the loss of human life and the material damage caused by the conflict; unreservedly supports the efforts to negotiate a comprehensive, just peace in the Middle East on the basis of strict compliance with all relevant UN resolutions concerning the problems of refugees, security, borders, settlements and Jerusalem, on the basis of the principles of the Madrid Conference and the subsequent agreements concluded between the conflicting parties;
  18. Unanimously calls for a much more active political role to be played by the European Union with a view to securing progress in the Middle East peace process and welcomes the initiative of involving the Secretary-General of the Council/High Representative of the European Union in the work of the fact-finding commission decided upon at Sharm-el-Sheikh; also stresses the importance it attaches to privilege diplomatic channels and dialogue in the search for a just and lasting peace in the region;
  19. Calls for the unconditional lifting of all restrictions on the free movement of persons and goods within, to and from the Palestinian territories, in accordance with the Oslo agreements;
  20. Requests that negotiations resume in the immediate future, on the basis of the progress made during the latest negotiations, and reaffirms that renunciation of the excessive use of force and of all forms of violence is an essential condition to be respected, as required by the relevant international conventions;
  21. Unanimously expresses its support for the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign, democratic, viable and peaceful State and the right of the people of Israel to live in safety within secure and recognised borders;
  22. Stresses the need to ensure that the spirit of partnership is maintained by more frequent parliamentary meeting and recognises that a favourable development of the Middle East peace process constitutes the basis for reinforcing and reinvigorating the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership;
  23. Calls on the European Commission to continue to support the Palestinian National Authority and its institutions and, at the same time, declares European Union's determination to continue cooperation with Israel whilst respecting the commitments and principles underlying Euro-Mediterranean policy;

    24. E. Other issues of interest to the partnership
  24. Calls for the lifting of the economic embargo on Iraq for humanitarian reasons and for compliance with the United Nations resolutions;
  25. In the light of the most recent developments, wishes the obstacles linked to the embargo to be removed, in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, so that Libya can take a full part in the Barcelona Process;
  26. Reiterates its call for Mauritana to be able to participate as a full member in the political dialogue of the Barcelona Process;
  27. Expresses its conviction of the need to find a solution to the problem of Cyprus which complies with the UN resolutions, and appreciates the efforts made by the Secretary-General to find a solution to the Cypriot problem;
  1. The political and security partnership; the desirability of a new Euro-Mediterranean political and security association to promote stability in the region
  1. Regrets that it was not possible to adopt the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Peace and Stability at the 4th Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Marseilles and hopes that it will be adopted as soon as possible and that this Charter will develop politically and will genuinely be able to contribute to the implementation of the principles stated in the Barcelona Declaration as regards all aspects of peace and stability in the region;
  2. Agrees on the need to broaden the agenda for political dialogue in the region to include a number of other topics relating to security, arms control, terrorism, migration, respect for human rights and the principle of the rule of law, as well as issues relating to the environment, the safety of maritime transport and combating drug-trafficking;

    3. G. The role of civil society in the revised Barcelona Process
  3. Attaches the utmost importance to supporting civil society and to far closer involvement by civil society in all its forms in the activities of the Barcelona Process, by means, inter alia, of greater support for the MEDA Democracy programme and also by promoting participation by local authorities and institutions in the work of the partnership;
  4. Encourages the States participating in the Barcelona Process and the institutions concerned to draw up information and communication programmes in order to make all their citizens aware of the activities involved in this Process;
  5. Calls for the adoption of measures to promote the development of the information society, the use of the Internet and investment in information and schooling;
  6. Calls also for an assessment to be carried out of the partner countries' capacity to absorb the budgetary resources allocated under the MEDA programme and of the financial instruments of the new European strategy for the Mediterranean;
  7. Recommends consolidating all the mechanisms and programmes for promoting women in order to involve them more in the Barcelona Process and welcomes the convening of the Euro-Mediterranean Women’s Parliamentary Forum to be held in Malta on 2 and 3 March 2001;
  8. Welcomes the work carried out by the Euro-Mediterranean network of economic and social councils and the representatives of organised civil society;

 

  1. Economic and trade aspects of the Barcelona Process and the establishment of a free trade area
  1. Expresses its agreement with the creation of a free trade area by 2010, which should involve the creation of a genuine ‘common market’ for all goods, capital and services. In this connection a regulatory framework and a timetable for harmonisation measures in certain priority sectors could already be established between now and 2002;
  2. Agrees that this free trade area should cover all sectors and help to improve the quality of life in all the partner countries, and calls for the highest possible level of prosperity and social cohesion to be attained in the framework of this free trade area;
  3. Notes that foreign direct investment in the region is inadequate and encourages all the partner States and institutions concerned to increase investment constantly; also considers it desirable and useful to provide the Mediterranean partner States with comprehensive information on all aspects of the Euro and the European economy;
  4. Recommends particularly the development, as soon as possible, of a large volume of South-South trade in order better to integrate all the economies of the countries in the region;
  5. Gives particular backing to the regional integration process across the Mediterranean Basin and calls for the creation of a new regional development financial institution;
  6. Favours debt conversion, given that the Mediterranean countries' development efforts are greatly handicapped by debt; takes the view that there should be priority reinvestment of converted external debt in co-development policies involving the Mediterranean countries;
  7. Calls for regional cooperation projects to be brought into line with environmental requirements and sustainable development; partner countries are asked to take the necessary measures with regard to integrated management of water resources, waste disposal, critical points (polluted areas and biodiversity risks) integrated management of coastal areas and measures to combat desertification, making use of the European Union's know-how and experience;
  1. Bilateral economic relations and the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements
  1. Expresses its support for the free movement of goods and services in the Euro-Mediterranean zone and for improving free movement of persons, as well as for the need for progressive, reciprocal liberalisation of agricultural trade in accordance with the principles laid down in the Barcelona Process and the WTO rules; calls on the institutions concerned to draw up a Euro-Mediterranean development policy for agriculture taking account of the social, territorial and environmental dimensions of agriculture;
  2. Calls on the Member States to speed up the process of ratification of the bilateral agreements already signed and encourages the conclusion, as soon as possible, of Association Agreements with the countries in respect of which the procedure is still under way;
  3. Calls for the Association Agreements to be ultimately consolidated in a multilateral agreement on the common issues, and encourages all partner countries which have signed an Association Agreement with the European Union to conclude, within the next five years, free-trade agreements with all the other signatories to an Association Agreement;
  4. Takes the view that the development of cooperation in the area of public services (transport, energy, telecommunications, health) would be conducive to the economic development of the Mediterranean countries and to satisfying the needs of their people; also wishes an assessment to be carried out of the economic, social and environmental consequences of the Association Agreements already implemented, with a view to benefiting from their lessons;

    5. J. Strengthening Euro-Mediterranean association in the social, cultural and human spheres which bring it closer to the people of the region
  5. Regrets that this aspect had not been sufficiently developed in relation to the political and economic aspects of the Barcelona Process, and calls in particular for account to be taken of the social impact of economic transition in the various national programmes;
  6. Calls for the implementation of policies for vocational training, universities, technology and education, the definition of local and regional development programmes, the promotion of programmes to further equal opportunities, health and safety at work, and promotion of the role of women in economic development and support for women's organisations, associations, businesses and networks in the countries of the region;
  7. Expresses its support for the regional programmes under way in the culture, audiovisual and youth fields in the context of a spirit of cultural identity, and voices its satisfaction at the recent launching of the Euromed Heritage II programme, as well as its support for the implementation, as soon as possible,of the Euromed Heritage and Euromed Audiovisual II programmes;
  8. Recognises the importance of cross-border cooperation and, in this connection, calls on the Mediterranean partner States to use the experience of the INTERREG programme and the spirit of partnership to promote cross-border cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean;
  9. Stresses the need to launch a regional programme in the sphere of justice and home affairs, which should pay particular attention to cooperation in combating smuggling and trafficking in persons and to the establishment of co-development strategies;

    10. K. Support for a new approach to issues concerning immigration and the free movement of persons
  10. Recommends that the partner States and the European Union introduce harmonised legislation on migration flow organisation and the fight against illegal immigration, lay down temporary immigration policies, create specific visas for Euro-Mediterranean operators, assist immigrants with their projects in their country of origin and adopt a policy of integration in host countries for lawfully resident immigrants;
  11. Decides to set up an internal working party with responsibility for migration and human exchanges to meet during the inter-session periods, consisting of one member from each parliament of the countries party to the Barcelona Process, plus appropriate European Parliament representation. This working party should follow closely the work of the Migration Observatory proposed for the European Commission with a view to ongoing and detailed follow-up to all issues concerning migration flow in the Mediterranean region;
  12. Invites the European governments to accord immigrants resident in the European Union equal treatment with regard to economic and social rights and recognition of civil and cultural rights and to consider recognition of certain political rights;

 

 

 

 

 

L. Financing of the measures stemming from the revised Barcelona Process and the MEDA II programme

 

55. Stresses the vital importance of much greater and more effective financial cooperation for the implementation of the three aspects of the Barcelona Process and, accordingly, regards the € 5.350 bn MEDA II budget adopted by the Council of the European Union for the period 2000-2006 as extremely inadequate;
  1. Calls for better management of the MEDA programme and much more decentralised cooperation with regard to financial aid, which should be aimed at achieving progress as regards democracy, good governance, the rule of law and sustainable development;
  1. Regional cooperation programmes
  1. Voices its support for the implementation of regional cooperation programmes with a limited number of Member States and Mediterranean countries, guaranteeing that those partners who so desire can participate, and ensuring that all cooperation projects take account of environmental and sustainable development requirements whilst also taking social aspects into consideration;
  2. Gives its agreement to the implementation of existing regional programmes in the priority sectors such as industry, water, the environment, transport, energy and the information society; pays particular attention to industrial cooperation and the research sector;

    3. N. Follow-up to the conclusions of the Second Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Forum
  3. Adopts by consensus the decision to meet annually in future and to set up a Group to follow up the conclusions of the previous Forum, comprising one member of each parliament of the countries party to the Barcelona Process plus appropriate European Parliament representation, to operate between sessions;
  4. Agrees on the need to approve definitive rules of procedure for the Forum as soon as possible and, in this connection, decides to set up a working party made up of one member from each parliament of the countries party to the Barcelona Process plus appropriate European Parliament representation;
  5. Decides to accept the invitation from the Italian Parliament; the Third Forum will therefore meet in the first half of 2002 in Italy;
  6. Instructs the Co-Presidents of the Forum to forward this Declaration to the Parliaments of the Member States of the Barcelona Process, the Commission, the Council of the European Union and the governments of the countries participating in the Barcelona Process.

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