| FOURTH EURO-MEDITERRANEAN
CONFERENCE
OF FOREIGN MINISTERS
Marseilles, 15-16 November 2000
1. The fourth Conference of Euro-Mediterranean
Foreign Ministers, held in Marseilles five years after the inaugural
Barcelona meeting, bore witness to the desire of all partners to
reinvigorate the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The Ministers undertook
to do their utmost to ensure that the positions agreed in Marseilles
enable the Partnership to reach its full potential and attain the
strategic objectives adopted in Barcelona in 1995.
2. As agreed at the informal meeting in Lisbon
on 25 and 26 May 2000, the Ministers strove to make a faithful and
shared assessment of the first five years of the Partnership in
order to fix the guidelines necessary for reinvigorating it. While
making a nuanced assessment of the implementation of the Partnership,
the Ministers insisted on its unique contribution to peace, stability
and development in the region. Since its inception the legitimacy
and cohesion of the Process had been maintained and constantly reaffirmed,
against a sometimes difficult backdrop. All the Ministers reiterated
their deep attachment to the institutional framework of the Barcelona
Process and the need for the parallel and balanced progression of
its three complementary chapters. In that context the Ministers
reaffirmed the central role of the Euro-Mediterranean Committee
and stressed the need to enhance its strategic function for advancing,
evaluating and following up the initiatives undertaken under the
Partnership.
3. The Ministers noted with great interest the
proposals for revitalising the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership put
forward by the Commission in its communication "Reinvigorating
the Barcelona Process" and the contributions made by the Mediterranean
partners. They welcomed the consultations conducted by the Presidency,
in liaison with the Commission and the Council General Secretariat,
in the framework of organised visits to each Mediterranean capital
in preparation for this Conference. For its part, the European Union
confirmed its willingness to strengthen the Mediterranean dimension
of its external relations. In that connection it drew attention
to the objectives of the common strategy for the Mediterranean adopted
by the Feira European Council and the priorities put forward by
the Presidency for implementing it in the second half of 2000.
Contribution of the Partnership to stability in the Mediterranean
region
4. The Ministers held a lengthy discussion on
the situation in the Middle East. They expressed their deep concern
at the situation which has obtained for several weeks in the region
and the risk it entails for the future of the Middle East Peace
Process and regional stability. They expressed their strong feeling
at the loss of human lives and suffering of the civilian population,
who should be protected.
5. Convinced that further confrontation and the
use of armed force lead nowhere, the Ministers reiterated their
support for the measures agreed in Sharm el Sheikh and in Gaza between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority to put an end to the violence.
They called upon them to act with determination for their full and
immediate implementation of these measures with a view to returning
to the situation obtaining prior to 28 September 2000. In this context,
many Ministers stressed the importance of restoring free movement
of goods and persons in the Palestinian Territories as soon as possible
and of lifting current restrictions. They also welcomed the announcement
of the establishment of the Fact-Finding Committee agreed on in
principle at the recent Sharm el Sheikh Summit and expressed the
wish that it be able to begin its proceedings without delay so that
it could establish the causes of recent events and prevent their
recurrence. The Ministers welcomed the participation of Mr Javier
Solana, Secretary-General/High Representative of the Council of
the European Union, in this work.
6. The Ministers stated their full support for
the efforts currently being made by the United States President
to relaunch the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority. Aware of the importance attaching to the restoration
of a climate of understanding, mutual trust and respect between
the parties, they called upon them to give consideration to initiatives
that could be taken to that end.
7. The Ministers reiterated their commitment to
a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, on the
basis of the faithful application of United Nations Security Council
Resolutions 242 and 338, to the terms of reference of the Madrid
Conference – including the principle of land for peace –
and of the agreements concluded in Oslo and thereafter. They called
upon the parties to revive the Peace Process and restart their discussions
at the earliest opportunity on all tracks, emphasising the urgency
of also reviving the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.
8. The Ministers called for greater involvement
of the European Union vis-à-vis all parties to foster dialogue
and restore trust and confidence. The European Union reiterated
its willingness to put its efforts at the service of the parties
in order to facilitate the conclusion of peace agreements and to
help implement them.
9. The Ministers of the European Union reiterated
their common position based on the Declaration adopted in Berlin
on 25 March 1999 and their support for the right of Palestinians
to their own State, as well as their declaration adopted in Biarritz
on 13 October 2000. They confirmed their attachment to seeing established
in the near future, and preferably through negotiation, a sovereign,
democratic, viable and peaceful Palestinian State, and urged the
Palestinian Authority to continue with determination the gradual
establishment of institutions representative of a constitutional
State.
Political and security partnership
Situation
10. The Ministers recalled that political dialogue
is an important asset of the Barcelona Process and plays a vital
role in giving it its whole worth, in parallel with the other chapters.
In spite of problems, which explain the poverty of the results attained,
it has continued and broadened to include sensitive and important
topics such as terrorism and, more recently, migration and human
exchanges. The Ministers recorded that, although that dialogue had
not made it possible to adopt new partnership measures, the measures
already adopted had been maintained. Furthermore, the entry into
force of new association agreements has enabled political dialogue
to develop in a bilateral framework.
11. The Ministers considered that preparation
of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Peace and Stability had provided
the opportunity for a useful deepening of the political dialogue.
They welcomed the work that had been done by the Senior Officials
in producing the draft. The draft is based on an overall approach
to stability, taking into account all of its political, economic,
financial, cultural, social and human aspects, and takes the form
of an evolutionary, non legally binding, framework agreement serving
as a political instrument for the gradual implementation of the
principles of the Barcelona Declaration with regard to the global
issues of peace and stability. The Ministers nevertheless agreed,
on a proposal from the Presidency, to defer adoption of the Charter
owing to the political context.
Guidelines for the future
12. The Ministers reaffirmed the need, without
waiting for the Charter to be adopted, to enhance the political
dialogue, at their level too, in order to contribute to clearing
up misunderstandings, foster the approximation of analyses and perceptions
and make it possible subsequently to agree on measures to strengthen
confidence and transparency. They instructed the Senior Officials
to continue it and deepen it in the specific areas of terrorism
and of migration and human exchanges. They took the view that there
should no longer be any taboos where questions of mutual interest
were concerned, and expressed a desire to extend the dialogue to
other topics, such as regional trends as regards security, disarmament,
the process of consolidating the rule of law, and respect for human
rights and democratic principles. Furthermore, the Ministers felt
that one worthwhile area for the dialogue might lie in the study
of measures of particular importance for common security in the
Mediterranean region, in sectors such as the environment, maritime
safety or the fight against crime and illicit trafficking of all
kinds. Those measures should be formulated in coordination with
multilateral programmes already in existence or in preparation in
the European or Mediterranean framework.
13. In conclusion, the Ministers confirmed the
special importance they attached to the draft Euro-Mediterranean
Charter, which should, in future, play a very useful role alongside
the development of confidence and strengthening of stability in
the region, notably with a view to the post-Peace Process. They
took note of the report presented by the Presidency on the progress
of work and instructed the Senior Officials to proceed with and
complete the latter with a view to adoption of the text as soon
as the situation permits, on the basis of the present draft, while
taking into account the contributions submitted by the partners.
Economic and commercial chapter
Situation
14. The Ministers took note of the progress made
by several partners, in particular those which had concluded association
agreements with the European Union, in modernising their economies
and implementing structural reforms. Particular attention should
be paid to the social impact of the economic transition. But there
is still much progress to be made in terms of improving public finances,
of deepening reforms, in particular budget and tax reforms, of reforming
the legal and regulatory framework and of reducing tariff and non-tariff
barriers, with the technical and financial support of the European
Union.
15. The Ministers noted that the level of investment,
in particular foreign investment (FDT), was still insufficient to
sustain the partners' growth and stimulate the supply side, as was
emphasised by the conclusions of the Lisbon Conference on Investment
in the Mediterranean (29 February and 1 March 2000), a topic which
called for discussion at regular intervals and should be institutionnalized.
16. Lastly, the south-south regional integration
process has only just begun and needs to be enhanced in order to
promote the economic reforms and regional integration which are
indispensable for attainment of the objectives of the Barcelona
Process.
Guidelines for the future
17. The Ministers reaffirmed the full relevance
of the objectives adopted in Barcelona in 1995 with a view to establishing
an area of shared prosperity in the Mediterranean. Having reaffirmed
the objective of creating a free-trade area by 2010, the Ministers
stressed the need for the partner countries, with the support of
the European Union, to open up further to one another economically
in order to foster their successful integration into the world economy.
In that regard the Ministers welcomed the desire already expressed
by four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan –
to establish closer links by creating a free-trade area amongst
themselves, and emphasised the need for suitable back-up from the
European Union to that end.
18. The Ministers felt that the efforts being
made, firstly, to improve the legal, administrative and institutional
framework, secondly, to develop financial intermediation mechanisms,
thereby allowing the mobilisation and efficient allocation of savings
and, lastly, to abolish restrictions on foreign investment, should
all have a beneficial effect on the flow of investment towards the
southern shore of the Mediterranean.
19. Taking account of the impact of the burden
of debt on public investment and growth, the Ministers, encouraged
by progress recently made in this area, expressed themselves in
favour of a continuation of the dialogue in order to find solutions
in the competent fora.
20. In order to promote improved coordination
and give more specific encouragement to the implementation of reforms
in the partner countries and make the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
a still more efficient and credible preferential instrument for
upgrading economies, the Ministers agreed to enhance the dialogue
on the economic and trade chapter of the Partnership. That should
be achieved through regular meetings of Senior Officials from the
ministries responsible for such matters, within the existing institutional
framework. That enhanced dialogue would relate in particular to
the macro-economic environment, structural reforms and economic
liberalisation of the partners, while making it possible for them
to follow the European Union's economic situation and trade policy.
It would also facilitate exchanges of experiences between the partners.
It could, in time, prepare for meetings of the competent Ministers
of the 27.
21. The Ministers also agreed on the need for
greater coherence in the work of the various existing fora in the
economic and social fields (employers, trade unions, universities,
etc.), and the need to take greater account of their views.
22. The Ministers placed emphasis on:
- the importance of the principle of free movement of goods and
services in the Euro-Mediterranean area in all circumstances;
- the need to accelerate the negotiations under way with Algeria,
Syria and Lebanon for the conclusion of association agreements;
the European Union stated its wish to complete the negotiations
in 2001;
- the urgency of signing the association agreement with Egypt and
the importance of ratifying the agreement with Jordan, which should
enter into force in the first half of 2001;
- the need to take new measures for greater liberalisation of agricultural
trade, subject to gradual and reciprocal approach, in accordance
with the principles set out in the Barcelona Declaration and the
WTO rules;
- the advantage for the countries which had signed association agreements
with the European Union to conclude free-trade agreements amongst
themselves within five years, and to develop the European Union's
cooperation on initiatives that contribute to the attainment of
that objective, including the introduction of diagonal cumulation
between countries which have identical rules of origin and which
are committed to conclude a free-trade agreement between themselves;
- effective implementation of the existing regional programmes in
the 6 priority areas confirmed in Stuttgart (industry, water, environment,
transport, energy and information society) while ensuring their
complementarity and the transfer of the results to national programmes;
- the value of establishing an indicative timetable for the adoption
of harmonisation measures in certain priority sectors, enabling
partner countries to benefit fully from the Euro-Mediterranean market;
- the advantage of initiating, in the context of industrial cooperation,
new regional training and institutional support projects and of
developing projects relating to innovation, technologies, including
information technology, and quality;
- the strategic importance of water management and supply to regional
cooperation, which demands the early launch of a call for proposals
to implement the action plan approved at the Turin Conference;
- the particular attention that should also be paid to research
sectors to develop synergies between MEDA and the Research and Development
Framework Programme;
- the benefits, with a view to sustainable development, of considering
the sectors of tourism, regional planning and territorial administration
in particular.
Social, cultural and human chapter
Situation
23. The Ministers underlined the importance of
the regional programmes under way in the fields of culture, audio-visual
and youth. However, they regretted that not all the possibilities
of this chapter had been fully exploited, especially as regards
social aspects, civil society and the human dimension of the Partnership.
Guidelines for the future
24. Consensus was reached on the need to take
greater account of the social effects of economic transition in
national programmes by placing the emphasis on training, employment,
professional requalification and the reform of education systems.
The Ministers also recommended establishing a regional programme
covering training policies, promoting the role of women in economic
development, the reform of social systems and cooperation on health
matters, as agreed at the Conference of Health Ministers in Montpellier
in December 1999.
25. Regarding culture in the broad sense, the
Ministers advocated building up existing programmes, through the
establishment of the second phase of Euromed-Heritage, the start
as soon as possible in 2001 of preparations for Euromed-Audiovisual
II, on the basis of the proceedings of the conferences in Thessaloniki
(1997) and Rabat (September 2000), and the launching of Euromed-Human
Sciences. In addition, they expressed their desire to see conditions
making it possible to develop the dialogue among cultures and civilisations
or other new initiatives.
26. The importance of the human dimension of the
Partnership was stressed. In this respect the Ministers confirmed
the conclusions reached by the first ad hoc meeting of Senior Officials
(October 2000) on migration and human exchanges and emphasised the
advantage of intensifying dialogue on this question by favouring
a comprehensive and balanced approach and by strengthening the policies
of co-development and integration of third-country nationals residing
legally in the territory of the Member States.
27. The Ministers also recommended the joint preparation
in 2001 of a regional programme in the field of Justice and Home
Affairs. The Ministers also welcomed the recommendations of the
seminar on operational customs cooperation in the Mediterranean
(3 and 4 April 2000) and, the first initiative taken to organise
a pilot scheme of joint checks at sea in 2001.
28. The Ministers reaffirmed the need to take
into account the aspirations of civil society – an essential
dimension of the Partnership. They took note in this respect of
the recommendations made by representatives from trades unions,
local authorities and NGOs meeting within the Civil Forum and those
from Euro-Mediterranean business circles. The importance of decentralised
cooperation and its contribution to the success of the Partnership
were stressed. The Ministers encouraged players from civil society
to take a full part in existing and future regional programmes.
In that connection, it was suggested that consideration be given
to establishing a regional programme of scientific exchanges. They
also wanted increased support for civil society, particularly through
the MEDA–Democracy programme. Lastly, the role played by the
network of Economic and Social Councils was recalled.
Financial cooperation
Situation
29. The Ministers held in-depth discussions on
the measures accompanying the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, particularly
the MEDA programme. They regretted the complexity of procedures
in the European Union as well as in partner countries and the slowness
of disbursement of payments. They noted the volume of appropriations
committed over the period 1995 to 1999 (EUR 3,4 billion for MEDA).
They commended the action by the EIB over the same period (EUR 4,6
billion) and its provision of very long-term funding to the Mediterranean
countries.
Guidelines for the future
30. The Ministers recalled that efficient and
credible financial cooperation, "targeted" towards the
major challenges of the Partnership, was essential. The European
Union felt that MEDA remained a measure accompanying and encouraging
the association process and that it was necessary to strengthen
the link between this programme and the implementation of reforms
initiated under the association agreements, from all aspects. The
Ministers also considered it necessary to take greater account of
the special characteristics of each partner and to strengthen strategic
cooperation at the programming stage.
31. The Ministers noted with satisfaction the
indicative figure adopted by the Council of the European Union for
the MEDA II allocation, namely EUR 5 350 billion for the period
2000 to 2006, which bears witness to the continuing commitment of
the European Union to the Mediterranean. They also welcomed the
improvements made to the MEDA Regulation with a view to simplifying
it, to accelerating procedures and to ensuring an enhanced role
for partners in implementing projects, particularly through deconcentrating
and decentralising their management.
32. The Ministers noted that the EIB would establish
the main strands of its action (infrastructure, sustainable development,
the private sector and reconstruction in the Eastern Mediterranean)
within the framework of indicative multiannual sectoral programming
for the entire Mediterranean area. They accepted the EIB's offer,
over and above its mandate from the European Union (EUR 6,4 billion
for the period 2000 to 2007), to contribute a further EUR 1 billion
from its own resources and at its own risk over the same period,
in accordance with Article 18 of its Statute. That additional amount
would contribute to the implementation of projects of regional interest
and to projects of common interest between the European Union and
the Mediterranean partner countries, in particular in the communications
and energy sectors.
33. In order to provide fresh impetus to regional
cooperation, the Ministers recommended strengthening the subregional
aspect of the Process by encouraging the voluntary introduction
of south-south development and economic integration initiatives.
34. In order to increase the visibility of cooperation,
an information and communication programme designed to increase
public awareness in the 27 partners and a Euro-Mediterranean "label"
will be established.
35. In the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean
dialogue, a Ministerial meeting will be held under the Belgian Presidency
during the second half of 2001. The Fifth Euro-Mediterranean Conference
of Foreign Ministers (Barcelona V) will take place during the first
half of 2002 during the Spanish Presidency.
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