WRITTEN QUESTION E-2803/99

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Mediterranean internal market

The southern Mediterranean countries have asked the European Union to become politically involved in the Mediterranean and in issues of peace and stability in the region. Europe has played a defining role in the geography and history of many countries. It shares responsibility for their stability.

It is vital to launch a joint process of reflection on both sides of the Mediterranean and to think about the future. An investment culture needs to be created in the region. Partnership between European technology and the investment opportunities in the southern Mediterranean countries needs to be stabilised. According to government sources in the countries concerned, it is hoped that, under its new President, the Commission will be very Mediterranean in its approach.

Can the Commission say whether it has responded to the appeals by the governments of some of the southern Mediterranean countries with the mutual enthusiasm and hope which might be expected from the European Union's new initiatives in its long and short-term relations with Mediterranean countries aspiring towards a Mediterranean internal market with the EU?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(21 February 2000)

One of the priorities of the MEDA programme is to assist in the establishment of a Community-Mediterranean free trade area.

Within this overall context, the Commission has recently launched several major initiatives to underline the importance it attaches to economic relations with the Mediterranean partners and to the establishment of a free trade area.

In the field of investment the Commission decided in December 1999 to finance under MEDA a regional programme for establishing a network between European and Mediterranean investment promotion agencies. The objective of this programme is to increase foreign direct investment in the Mediterranean region through enhanced cooperation among the institutions in charge of investment promotion. Activities

will include the creation of a network, training of the Mediterranean investment institutions and regional investment promotion. The total Community financial contribution for this three years programme amounts to 3,95 million.

The Commission also actively supports and co-finances the initiative of the Portuguese Presidency to organise a large Euro-Mediterranean Investment Conference which will take place in Lisbon from 28th February to 1st March, 2000.

In the field of the single market the Commission is preparing a new regional programme to be decided in the course of this year. The European single market has demonstrated the benefits which can be derived from free trade between open markets. The objective of this future programme is to extend the economic experience made in Europe to the Mediterranean partners. The programme, which is also planned for a period of three years, will include wide-ranging information and awareness raising activities on the single market concept in general, as well as training on more specific issues, such as customs, free movement of goods, public procurement, intellectual property rights, financial services, auditing and accounting, protection of personal data and rules for competition.