EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/641

(2004/C 88 E/0657)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3305/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(10 November 2003)

Subject: Human rights in Tunisia

Article 2 of an Association Agreement with Tunisia states that ‘Relations between parties, as well the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles which guide their domestic and international policies and constitute an essential element of the Agreement.’ Yet despite this, and President Zine El Ben Ali's commitment to improve their human rights record, these rights are continually abused.

Could the Commission please explain what measures, if any, are in place to ensure that such pledges to respect human rights are actually being enforced by authorities in Tunisia?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 2003)

The Union-Tunisia Association agreement contains an article outlining what the parties consider as the essential values and principles underpinning their association.

The Association agreement provide for the necessary structures to discuss all aspects of the agreement, namely the Association Council (ministerial), the Association Committee (senior officials) and, since September 2003, a series of sector specific sub-committees (experts). All of these fora are competent to deal with issues concerning human rights and democracy in the appropriate way.

In addition, the recent Association Council held on 30 September 2003 agreed that ‘should the parties so decide … these issues may also be discussed by a specific working party or sub-committee of the Association Committee’. Human rights issues were also discussed during the political dialogue that took place with Tunisia on 29 September 2003 in the margins of the Association Council.

In this context the Union recalled the ‘importance it attaches to pursuing and deepening discussions on human rights and democratisation with Tunisia in a structured way and in view of reaching points of common understanding on these issues’ (Union Declaration at the 4th Association Council). Such specific sub-committees are already being established with Morocco and Jordan. Such consultations are in addition to the traditional diplomatic instruments such as demarches and declarations made by the Union with the aim of promoting human rights objectives.

The actual impact of these consultations obviously depends on the strength with which they are delivered (the Commission always acts on these issues in tight coordination with the Member States) and the way in which they are received by the Partner country. It is believed that both the Commission's initiatives on a Wider Europe neighbourhood policy and its Communication on reinforcing human rights in the Mediterranean (1) will be useful incentives for our partners to more action behind their formal commitments.

In addition, the Commission is setting up co-operation programmes funded by MEDA in support of the Tunisian Media (training of journalists) and modernisation of the judiciary. Non-governmental organisations working to advance human rights in Tunisia have access to funding under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights 2002-2004, which has Tunisia as one of its ‘focus countries’ for this period.

(1) COM(2003) 294 final.