Debate: EU-Tunisia Agreement - aspects related to external migration policy
Date: TUESDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2023
Speaker: Olivér Várhelyi
Language: EN

The memorandum of understanding was signed less than two months ago during the joint visit of President von der Leyen, Prime Minister Meloni and Prime Minister Rutte to Tunis. It also follows the discussion of the European Council in June that welcomed the work on this solid partnership package. This is an investment in our shared prosperity, stability, and in the future generations. The reasons for it are compelling. The EU and Tunisia are bound by a shared history and geography, and we share strategic interests.  In times of geopolitical uncertainties, it is important to deepen cooperation with our strategic partners. In this context, we agreed with Tunisia on a comprehensive package of measures that we are now putting into practice swiftly.  The memorandum of understanding aims to strengthen our comprehensive cooperation with Tunisia, with a view to further intensifying our already existing cooperation for the benefit of both partners and to tackling a number of challenges and seizing the opportunities in five areas. First, economic development; second, investment and trade; third, energy; fourth, people-to-people contacts; and fifth, migration and mobility.  The implementation of the memorandum of understanding should result in clear objectives and targets for the short, medium and long term. We have high expectations that this partnership will deliver tangible results through a closer partnership for the mutual benefit of our citizens.  Just to give you a few examples. We will contribute up to EUR 150 million in budget support to macroeconomic stability and accompany reforms in Tunisia. We remain also ready to support Tunisia by mobilising macro-financial assistance as soon as the necessary conditions are met. We are working with Tunisia to boost investments in key sectors to support the digital and green transitions, job creation and economic perspective, including to the youth and women as part of our economic and investment plan.  We agreed to cooperate on energy diversification and energy security in light of Tunisia’s enormous potential for renewables. We will implement flagship projects such as the ELMED Interconnector or the Medusa digital highway.  We aim to move ahead with the signature of the civil aviation agreement to unlock huge opportunities for tourism and job creation.  We will enhance cooperation on education, vocational training, research and innovation, for instance, by Tunisia’s participation in the Erasmus+ or Horizon Europe or the construction of new schools in Tunisia with the European Investment Bank.  One of the core objectives of this strategic and comprehensive partnership with Tunisia is to address the migration-related challenges in a comprehensive and sustainable way. The recent trends, including the difficult situation of the migrants stranded at the border regions or the high number of irregular arrivals, illustrate the urgency to redouble our efforts and closely cooperate on the matter.  First, we are strengthening our ongoing engagement on protection in close cooperation with the IOM, UNHCR and other international organisations and local NGOs to ensure the protection of migrants in vulnerable situations. For example, we are providing immediate relief, such as the provision of water, first aid, medical aid, emergency shelters, hygiene kits, and we are addressing the protection of needs of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, also by supporting the efforts of the host communities.  Second, it is essential to prevent irregular departures that too often end up in tragedy. We will strengthen the border protection capacities of Tunisia, including by strengthening its coastal surveillance system, with the refitting and delivery of patrol vessels, and supporting land border control in close cooperation with our Member States, with full respect for human rights.  Third, we need to redouble our efforts to crack down on criminal networks of smugglers and traffickers, on the basis of anti-smuggling operations and partnerships, as announced during the visit of Commissioner Johansson already in April. They are exploiting human despair, and we have to break their reckless business model.  In the upcoming period, the focus will be on swift implementation of the memorandum of understanding in cooperation with Tunisia and in line with the established rules and procedures. It is already underway with regular technical and political level meetings with the Tunisian authorities and several exchanges in the Council and the European Parliament.  The respect for human rights and democratic principles is enshrined in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which is the overarching legal framework for the bilateral relations. In addition, the objective is to hold the EU-Tunisia Association Council by the end of the year to tackle many aspects of the bilateral partnership, including the situation of human rights and fundamental values.  It will also be the occasion to endorse the new EU-Tunisia strategic priorities that are being prepared in parallel to the implementation of the memorandum of understanding.