First of all, at a time when the enlargement of the European Union is underway, I would like the Euro-Lebanese rapprochement to contribute to creating an outline for genuine joint Mediterranean construction. This must take place through a dialogue between equals. It is even more urgent as the risk of war in Iraq weighs upon relations with the Arab world as a whole. Next, as has already been said, we need to use all available means to escape the spiral of violence in the Middle East. Europe and Lebanon could play a more active part with regard to compliance with the United Nations resolutions, the creation of a Palestinian State and Israel’s full, and universal recognition in the region. I am thinking in particular of the serious basis constituted by the offer of peace adopted by the Arab countries in Beirut. Although the war in Lebanon is fortunately in the past, the absence of peace throughout the region is a barrier to genuine reconstruction and development in the country as a whole. This is especially true in southern Lebanon, where problems of borders with Israel have not been solved. Almost three years after the Israeli withdrawal, needs are still great: for example, rehabilitation of infrastructures, rebuilding homes and irrigation projects. The same is true of the Syrian presence: although it does not explain everything, it probably prevents the Lebanese from effectively erasing all the scars of war. Lebanon exists in the mind of the Lebanese, but many would like to see a stronger affirmation of their State, which would take place in particular through a truly independent, democratic State, in order to establish and develop coexistence between the Lebanese. I am thinking in particular of respect for freedom of speech, an independent judiciary, the rights of asylum seekers, those who have disappeared, and the death penalty. This is also true of the situation of Palestinian refugees. Although Lebanon is still, fortunately, a country of refuge for Palestinians, the absence of a foreseeable fair, sustainable solution aggravates the situation of great social distress in which hundreds of thousands of refugees find themselves. The right to return should be recognised as legitimate, but the discrimination that actually affects Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is unjustifiable. Access to work or social protection should be guaranteed more effectively, with our help. Lastly, we cannot ignore the social and economic aspects. While the period immediately following the war required the implementation of an ambitious reconstruction programme, the current situation is bleak. Some would say that the Lebanese economy is somewhere between the developing world and the City. The debt is USD 30 billion. There is glaring inequality. The high consumption of the wealthy goes side by side with raging poverty, intensified by an extremely high cost of living and widespread low income. The Lebanese Prime Minister did obtain aid of over EUR 4 billion in Paris last November from some European and Arab countries as well as from international financial institutions. I remain more than sceptical, however, as to the positive effects of creating a free-trade zone. The loss of customs taxes could have significant consequences for useful public spending. European aid should therefore be given through active support for the organisations operating in humanitarian and social fields. I still think that modernity and social progress consist of making the focus of Euro-Mediterranean relations human factors rather than goods and capital. The Euromed civil forum considers the social and economic assessment of the partnership to be negative overall: we should heed the critics!

Political group: GUE-NGL