B4-0455, 0456, 0457, 0458 and 0460/98

Resolution on Euro-Mediterranean Agreements

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the follow-up of the Barcelona Conference,

- having regard to the joint meeting of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union and the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Gulf States of 26 February 1998 on the MEDA and MED programmes,

A. concerned at the slowness with which the planned Euro-Mediterranean partnership is being put into effect, and also at the difficulties encountered,

B. whereas the promotion of, and respect for, human rights are essential features of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation,

C. having regard to the meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (15 + 12) which will take place in Palermo on 3 and 4 June 1998, the agenda for which includes the relaunch of the Euro-Mediterranean process initiated at Barcelona,

D. stressing the importance of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and the need for progress to be made in this area with all the countries which subscribe to the principles of peace and cooperation which are set out in the Barcelona Declaration, and the fact that the Barcelona process must be an integral part of the new foreign policy,

E. whereas the Mediterranean Parliamentary Forum, which is about to be set up, will provide a major instrument for deepening political dialogue and the strategy for Euro-Mediterranean relations,

F. recalling that the MEDA funds and the MED Programmes are the indispensable instruments for the concrete development of the process, and noting the fresh impetus given by the Commission to the MED URBS, MED MEDIA and MED CAMPUS Programmes.

G. convinced that Israel must honour the commitments relating to the Middle-East peace process which it made under the Barcelona Declaration of November 1995 and the Oslo accords,

H. aware that the difficulties encountered in the Middle-East peace process are increasingly undermining the Barcelona process,

1. Believes that stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region are of common strategic importance and that it is necessary to improve political stability and security on the basis of democratic institutions, respect for human rights and the rule of law;

2. Wishes to see a relaunch of the Euro-Mediterranean dynamic with due respect for the commitments laid down in the Barcelona Declaration, in the hope that all the countries bordering the Mediterranean can be persuaded to observe the principles which it sets out;

3. Calls on the Member States to ratify without delay the Euro-Mediterranean Agreements which have already been concluded and hopes for greater openness in the conduct of the current negotiations and in the implementation of the agreements which have already been ratified;

4. Calls on the Council to take into account the concerns of Mediterranean non-member countries on the grounds that the economies of the partner countries and the growth of their external trade in agricultural and agri-industrial products depend to a large extent on the attitude of their major partner, namely the European Union;

5. Calls on the Commission to monitor closely the implementation of the agreements in order to reduce the social impact of economic transition;

6. Calls for specific cooperation to combat drugs, terrorism and money laundering;

7. Urges the Commission to propose a specific programme for cooperation in the field of the environment, in particular for measures in favour of sustainable development in the Mediterranean;

8. Calls for migration policy and social affairs to be incorporated into the Euro-Mediterranean partnerships;

9. Calls on the Council to bear in mind the need for the partner states to achieve progress in terms of respect for human rights and basic freedoms and the need to promote dialogue between human rights organizations, governments and the European Union;

10. Calls on the Commission to brief Parliament on the specific measures it has taken to improve the currently inadequate checks at every stage of the management of projects in the context of cooperation with Mediterranean countries;

11. Notes that the three MED programmes (MED URBS, MED CAMPUS and MED MEDIA) have been restarted and hopes for confirmation of the European Union's commitment to providing financial support for the economic transition processes called for under the association agreements beyond the expiry dates of the MEDA programme; notes the decision to set up a MED secretariat, to be run by DG IB, which will have the task of examining the projects selected for 1996, and hopes that assessments will indeed be based on new management standards applying to decentralized cooperation;

12. Urges the Union Presidency to pursue its diplomatic efforts with a view to relaunching the Middle-East peace process;

13. Considers that the decision by the Israeli Government not to accept the invitation to attend a further meeting with the Palestinian National Authority as proposed by the USA makes it more difficult to restart the peace process;

14. Emphasizes the crucial role to be played by civil society in the partner countries, notably in Algeria, and the need to promote cooperation with counterparts within the European Union;

15. Hopes that, in Algeria, the fight against terrorism and the action needed to protect the civilian population will be conducted in accordance with the rule of law and respect for human rights; calls for greater cooperation in the fight against terrorism, in particular by cutting off funding from the Algerian terrorist bases established in Europe;

16. Calls on the Council to find ways of resuming negotiations with the Algerian Government, reaffirming once more the importance of political dialogue;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments of the countries which signed the Barcelona Declaration.