APPENDIX 4
Common Strategy of the European Union
on the Mediterranean Region
The European Council,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, in
particular Article 13 thereof,
Has Adopted This Common Strategy:
PART I
VISION OF THE EU FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
REGION
1. The Mediterranean region is of strategic importance
to the EU. A prosperous, democratic, stable and secure region,
with an open perspective towards Europe, is in the best interests
of the EU and Europe as a whole.
2. The Mediterranean region continues to be faced
with political, economic, judicial, ecological and social challenges.
If these complex and diverse challenges are to be overcome, the
EU and the Mediterranean Partners must work together with a common
vision, sensitivity and mutual respect.
3. The EU's Mediterranean policy is guided by the
principle of partnership, a partnership which should be actively
supported by both sides. The EU will work with its Mediterranean
Partners to: develop good neighbourly relations; improve prosperity;
eliminate poverty; promote and protect all human rights and fundamental
freedoms, democracy, good governance and the rule of law; promote
cultural and religious tolerance; and develop co-operation with
civil society, including NGOs. It will do so by supporting the
efforts of the Mediterranean Partners to attain the goals set
out by the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, by using its bilateral
relations to pursue these objectives, and by contributing to the
creation of a peaceful environment in the Middle East.
4. The Common Strategy builds on the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership established by the Barcelona Declaration and its subsequent
acquis, the Berlin Declaration and the European Union's long-standing
policy towards the Mediterranean with its bilateral and regional
components.
5. The EU is convinced that the successful conclusion
of the Middle East Peace Process on all its tracks, and the resolution
of other conflicts in the region, are important prerequisites
for peace and stability in the Mediterranean. Given its interests
in the region and its close and long-standing ties with its constituent
countries, the Union aspires to play its full part in bringing
about stability and development in the Middle East. The co-operation
that has already been initiated in the framework of the Barcelona
Process is a determining factor in laying the foundations for
after peace has been achieved. The Union will therefore support
the efforts of the parties to implement the peace agreements.
In this regard the adoption of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter
for Peace and Stability, an objective which predates the adoption
of this strategy, should be a deciding factor in the post-conflict
process in the Mediterranean.
6. Bearing in mind the vital importance of the Mediterranean
region to the EU, and with a view to further strengthening its
Mediterranean dimension, the European Council adopts this Common
Strategy. It covers all the EU's relations with all its partners
in the Barcelona Process, and with Libya. But it does not include
the EU's bilateral relations with those Mediterranean countries
which are candidates for EU membership, since those relations
are covered by the Accession Process. While the European Union
will continue to play its full role in the Middle East Peace Process
according to its acquis including the Berlin Declaration, this
Common Strategy will cover the EU's contribution to the consolidation
of peace in the Middle East once a comprehensive peace settlement
has been achieved.
PART II
OBJECTIVES
7. The European Union has the following goals in
its policy towards the Mediterranean region:
· to
make significant and measurable progress towards achieving the
objectives of the Barcelona Declaration and its subsequent acquis,
i.e.:
¨ to
establish a common area of peace and stability through a political
and security partnership,
¨ to
create and area of share prosperity through an economic and financial
partnership,
¨ to
establish a partnership in social, cultural and human affairs:
developing human resources, promoting understanding between cultures
and exchanges between civil societies;
· to
promote the core values embraced by the EU and its Member Statesincluding
human rights, democracy, good governance, transparency and the
rule of law;
· to
encourage and assist Mediterranean partners with the process of
achieving free trade with the EU and among themselves in the terms
of the Barcelona Declaration, economic transition and attracting
increased investment to the region;
· to
strengthen co-operation in the field of Justice and Home Affairs,
as outlined by the Tampere European Council;
· to
pursue, in order to fight intolerance, racism and xenophobia,
the dialogue between cultures and civilisations.
8. As far as security matters are concerned, the
EU intends to make use of the evolving common European policy
on security and defence to consider how to strengthen, together
with its Mediterranean Partners, co-operative security in the
region.
9. The Union has already played an active role in
the past in the efforts to establish a just, comprehensive and
lasting peace in the Middle East and to bring about stability
and development in the region. It regards the co-operation that
has already been initiated in the framework of the Barcelona Process
as a determining factor in providing a foundation on which to
build once peace has been achieved. Within the framework of this
common strategy, and taking its paragraph 6 into account, the
European Union sets itself as objectives:
· to
promote conditions which will help the parties implement agreements
concluded among themselves;
· to
develop the basis for normal good-neighbourly relations and encourage
the parties to engage in regional co-operation;
· to
contribute to the consolidation of peace in the region, including
economic integration and mutual understanding between civil societies.
10. To increase the effectiveness, impact and visibility
of EU actions and initiatives in the region, the following general
objectives will be pursued:
· to
enhance co-ordination, coherence and complementarity and ensure
synergies between the different existing regional and subregional
activities, instruments and interventions of the EU and its Member
States;
· to
ensure complementarity of the EU's Mediterranean policy with EU
policies concerning other partners.
PART III
AREAS OF ACTION AND SPECIFIC INITIATIVES
11. The EU will, together with its Mediterranean
Partners, undertake a comprehensive review of the Barcelona Process
with the aim of reinvigorating the Process and making it more
action-orientated and results-driven.
12. The European Union will endeavour to pursue the
following specific initiatives, without precluding possible new
initiatives, which could, where appropriate, take account of the
specific situations and needs of the countries, regions or sub-regions
concerned.
Political and Security
13. The EU will strengthen the political and security-related
dialogue with its Mediterranean partners at all levels: bilaterally
with individual Mediterranean partners; in the Barcelona framework,
including the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Peace and Stability
after its entry into force; and in other multilateral contexts
to:
· identify
common ground on security issues aiming at establishing a common
area of peace and stability;
· elaborate
partnership-building measures, notably by promoting regular consultations
and exchanges of information with its Mediterranean Partners;
· provide
timely and appropriate information on initiatives that could be
of concern to other Mediterranean Partners;
· reinforce
co-operation against global challenges to security, such as terrorism,
organised crime and drug trafficking;
· co-operate
on possible arrangements for conflict prevention, crisis management
and post-conflict rehabilitation including the encouragement of
the peaceful settlement of conflicts and disputes, including by
judicial means;
· explore
possibilities to address problems of anti-personnel landmines
in the Mediterranean region through co-operation in mine action,
including mine clearance, mine awareness and victim assistance,
with a view to promoting the objectives of the Ottawa Convention;
· promote
the signature and ratification by Mediterranean Partners of all
non-proliferation instruments, including the NPT, CWC, BWC and
CTBT;
· pursue
a mutually and effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of
weapons of mass-destruction, nuclear, chemical and biological,
and their delivery systems.
In this context, the EU will take into account further
developments of the Common European Security and Defence Policy.
Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law
14. In the framework of the Barcelona Process and
in its bilateral relations with Mediterranean Partners, the EU
will:
· actively
promote the strengthening of democratic institutions and the rule
of law, in particular through political dialogue and support for
judicial reform, institution building, and freedom of expression,
notably through the strengthening of the independent media;
· support
and encourage efforts to promote good governance;
· stress
the importance of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental
freedoms for all including by support for governmental and non-governmental
actors in the region through human rights training, monitoring,
advocacy and awareness-raising;
· in
the context of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, urge accession to international human rights instruments
including full implementation of civil, cultural, economic, political
and social rights without distinction as to race, sex, language
or religion;
· take
measures to persuade all Mediterranean Partners to abolish the
death penalty in accordance with agreed EU guidelines.
Peace in The Middle East
15. The EU will, taking paragraph 6 of this Common
Strategy into account,
· provide
its expertise, submit ideas and make available its good offices
and assistance to the core parties of the Peace Process in order
to facilitate the conclusion of peace agreements and help prepare
the "post peace era" in the Middle East;
· actively
promote progress on the multilateral track of the Peace Process
drawing also on synergies with the Barcelona Process. With regard
to central issues such as water and refugees, the EU will offer
its expertise whenever requested;
· in
the context of a comprehensive settlement, and upon request by
the core parties, give consideration to the participation of Member
States in the implementation of security arrangements on the ground;
· contribute
to the international commitment needed to implement and consolidate
peace in the Middle East, notably through support to regional
economic co-operation and integration and the expansion of trade
flows;
· work
towards strengthening stability in the Middle East by means of
co-operation security through its contributions to the implementation
of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Peace and Stability once
it is adopted and has entered into force.
Economic and Financial
16. The EU will:
· actively
work on the implementation of Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements,
notably by further promoting the progressive liberalisation of
trade in all areas relevant to the Partners in the terms of the
Barcelona Declaration;
· make
every effort to speed up the conclusion and implementation of
the remaining Association Agreements;
· support
measures to increase the attractiveness of the region to investors,
particularly through the creation of a larger market, encouraging
the alignment of policies relating to the EU Single Market, improving
the regulatory framework, ensuring fair and equitable treatment
of investors and raising awareness in the EU of investment opportunities
in the region;
· encourage
and support sub-regional co-operation, such as within the Arab
Maghreb Union, within a framework leading to wider regional co-operation;
· encourage
and support efforts by Mediterranean Partners to increase South-South
trade, particularly through South-South trade agreements and the
progressive harmonisation of rules of origin;
· assist
Mediterranean Partners in strengthening their capacity to formulate
appropriate trade policies and to participate actively in trade
negotiations, in particular with regard to the development of
the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area and future negotiations
in the WTO;
· encourage
the liberalisation of current account payments with a view to
full liberalisation of capital movements as soon as possible.
It will also promote the euro as the contract and settlement currency
for Mediterranean trade;
· support
the interconnection of infrastructure between Mediterranean Partners,
and between them and the EU, drawing on the experience of Trans-European
Networks (TENs) in transport, energy and telecommunications;
· encourage
policies enhancing the role of the private sector and the promotion
of small and medium enterprises in Mediterranean partner countries,
notably export-oriented SMEs, as one of the most effective means
of wider job creation;
· ensure
that appropriate consideration is given to the objective of creating
a market economy with a social dimension, including core labour
standards and the promotion of gender equality.
17. The EU will encourage WTO membership by all partners
on the appropriate terms.
18. The EU will maximise the impact of financial
co-operation through the EU budget, notably MEDA, and the EIB,
by the following measures:
· the
European Community and the Member States will co-ordinate their
respective financial and development co-operation strategies,
programmes and actions in favour of the Mediterranean Partners,
and will also work with other donors, to ensure coherence, complementarity
and, where appropriate, co-financing;
· the
European Union will enhance economic dialogue with Mediterranean
Partners, notably in the context of programming of financial assistance,
with a view to promoting speedier economic transition, sound fiscal
and monetary policies and structural reform;
· the
Commission will ensure that other resources from the community
budget available to benefit the Mediterranean partners are used
coherently. Improved co-ordination will be sought with other relevant
EU programmes (Fifth R&D Framework Programme confirming the
international role of Community research with partners, SYNERGY,
LIFE, INTERREG III).
19. The EU will promote better integrated water strategies
and water management policies in the Mediterranean region.
Environment
20. The EU will ensure that account is taken of the
need to promote better integration of environmental concerns with
a view to the sustainability of economic development.
Social and Cultural
21. In addition to co-operation with the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership, the EU will:
· take
all necessary measures to facilitate and encourage the involvement
of civil society as well as the further development of human exchanges
between the EU and the Mediterranean partners. NGOs will be encouraged
to participate in co-operation at bilateral and regional levels.
Particular attention will be paid to the media and universities;
· support
efforts towards promoting co-operation in social matters, including
the promotion of equal opportunities for men and women, and towards
strengthening social dialogue;
· encourage
efforts to improve education and vocational training, in particular
for youth and women with the objective of enhancing their integration
into the labour markets. In this context, regional co-operation
will be improved through the exchange of best practices, transfer
of know how and capacity-building.
Justice and Home Affairs
22. Building on the acquis of the Barcelona Process
and further to the Conclusions of the European Council in Tampere,
the EU will:
· act
in accordance with the Geneva Refugee convention and other relevant
instruments, and promote full compliance by the Mediterranean
partners;
· study
the simplification and acceleration of visa issue procedures;
· promote
the identification of correspondences between legal systems of
different inspirations in order to resolve civil law problems
relating to individuals: laws of succession and family law, including
divorce;
· promote
transparency and greater predictability of legal systems in the
partners in order to encourage foreign investment, and to encourage
lawful migrants to pursue activities in favour of co-development
with their countries of origin;
· ensure
that the rules of transfer of profits are liberalised and find
solutions avoiding double taxation, particularly for lawful migrants
and those with dual nationality;
· develop
effective co-operation mechanisms to fight against illegal immigration
networks, including trafficking in human beings, inter alia through
the establishment of readmission arrangements relating to own
and third country nationals as well as persons without nationality;
· enter
into dialogues with a view to setting up modern and effective
border control systems, offering inter alia access to training
programmes and exchanges of officials;
· work
with Mediterranean Partners to address the question of migration,
taking into full consideration the economic, social and cultural
realities faced by Partner countries. Such an approach would require
combating poverty, improving living conditions and job opportunities,
preventing conflicts, consolidating democratic states and ensuring
respect for Human Rights;
· develop
a common approach to ensure the integration into society of Mediterranean
partners' nationals who have been lawfully resident in a Member
State for a certain period of time and hold a long-term residence
permit, aiming at approximating their legal status in that Member
State to that enjoyed by EU citizens;
· exchange
information and statistics with the Mediterranean partners on
migration flows.
23. The EU will develop further its co-operation
with Mediterranean partners to combat organised crime, including
drug trafficking and money laundering, in particular through:
· assistance
in training for members of the judiciary and law enforcement authorities
with an emphasis on information on the Union's acquis in the field
of organised crime;
· offering
collaboration with Mediterranean Partners to develop the necessary
legal, institutional and judicial framework for the effective
prosecution of these offences, and to develop co-operation mechanisms
to combat cross-border crime.
The EU will continue to encourage Mediterranean Partners
to adhere to the UN's international conventions on terrorism,
and to follow the principle that the fight against terrorism must
be firmly based on the principles of International Law and the
respect for Human Rights.
PART IV
INSTRUMENTS AND MEANS
General Provisions
24. This Common Strategy shall be implemented by
the EU institutions and bodies, each acting within the powers
attributed to them by the Treaties, and in accordance with the
applicable procedures under those Treaties.
25. For the aspects of the Strategy falling within
the CFSP of the Union, the Secretary General of the Council/High
Representative for the CFSP, supported by the Special Envoy for
the Middle East Peace Process, shall assist the Council and the
Presidency in its implementation and in the implementation of
the acts adopted on its basis. Without prejudice to its powers
under the TEC, the Commission shall be fully associated in accordance
with Articles 18 and 27 TEU.
26. The Council and the Commission shall, in accordance
with Article 3 TEU, ensure the consistency, unity and effectiveness
of the Union's action. The effectiveness of this Common Strategy
will be optimised by ensuring the greatest possible coherence
between the various instruments and areas of activity undertaken
by the Union, and between the activities of the Union and those
of the Member States. The Union will ensure complementarity between
its Mediterranean policy and other policies.
27. Member States shall contribute to the objectives
of the Common Strategy by making appropriate and co-ordinated
use of all relevant instruments and means available to them. Current
arrangements by which Member States recognise states, decide on
a state's membership of international organisations, or decide
on the maintenance and conduct of bilateral diplomatic and other
(such as political, sporting and cultural bilateral relations)
will not be affected by this Common Strategy.
The Council, The Commission and Member States
28. The Council, the Commission and Member States
shall:
· review,
according to their competencies and capacities, existing actions,
programmes, instruments, and policies outside the Barcelona Declaration
and acts implementing it, to ensure their consistency with this
Strategy; and, where there are inconsistencies, to make the necessary
adjustments at the earliest review date;
· make
full and appropriate use of existing instruments and means as
well as all relevant EU and Member States' programmes, and to
develop and maintain to this end an indicative inventory of the
resources of the Union, the Community and Member States through
which the Common Strategy will be implemented.
Co-ordination
29. Member States shall make additional efforts to
co-ordinate their actions vis-à-vis the Mediterranean region,
including within regional and international organisations such
as the Council of Europe, the UN, the OSCE, and the IFIs; such
co-ordination shall take due account of Community competence.
30. Member States participating in other fora, engaging
either as their principal objective, or as a collateral activity
in activities related to the Mediterranean, shall do so in a way
consistent with the objectives of this Common Strategy.
31. The Representatives of the member States and
the Commission in the Mediterranean partners shall take full account
of this Common Strategy when co-ordinating their activities on
the ground.
32. The Council, the Commission and Member States
shall work towards more effective co-operation with regional and
international organisations, and will seek with other like-minded
countries to achieve the objectives of the Strategy.
Implementation and Review
33. The European Council requests the Council:
· to
ensure that each incoming Presidency presents to the Council,
in the framework of its general programme, priorities for implementation
of this Common Strategy, based on the objectives in part II and
taking due account of the areas of action in Part III;
· to
review and evaluate the Union's action under this Strategy and
to report to the European Council on progress towards its objectives
not less than annually;
· to
review the situation in the Mediterranean region and the state
of Mediterranean partners' co-operation in the implementation
of this Strategy, and make an assessment in its report to the
European Council;
· where
necessary, to submit recommendations for amendments to Parts II
and III of this Strategy to the European Council.
34. The Commission shall contribute to the above
within its competence.
Co-operation with the Mediterranean Partners
35. The European Union and its Members States shall
work closely together with the Mediterranean partners when implementing
this Common Strategy, in particular through the Association Agreements
and through the Euro-Mediterranean Committee for the Barcelona
Process, including by considering recommendations and concerns
expressed by Mediterranean Partners.
PART V
Duration
36. This Common Strategy shall apply from the date
of its publication for an initial period of four years. It may
be prolonged, reviewed and, if necessary, adapted by the European
Council on the recommendation of the Council.
Publication
37. This Common Strategy shall be published in the
Official Journal.
European Council Declaration on the Common
Strategy on the Mediterranean Region
The Council acts by qualified majority when adopting
joint actions, common positions or any other decisions within
the scope of Title V of the Treaty on European Union (Common Foreign
and Security Policy), on the basis of the Common Strategy.
Acts adopted outside the scope of Title V of the
Treaty on European Union shall continue to be adopted according
to the appropriate decision-making procedures provided by the
relevant provisions of the Treaties, including the Treaty establishing
the European Community and Title VI of the Treaty on European
Union.
On the occasion of the adoption of the European Union's
Common Strategy on the Mediterranean region, the European Council
confirms that the European Union will continue to support the
efforts of the parties to conclude, and subsequently implement,
the peace agreements. In doing so, the European Union will base
itself on the principles set out in the Declaration made by the
European Council in Berlin, March 1999.
It invites the Council, assisted by the Secretary-General/High
Representative for the CFSP with the help of the EU Special Envoy
for the Peace Process, and the Commission to consider what support
the Barcelona Process can lend to stability in the Middle East,
to work on enhancing the visibility of the Union and to put forward
concrete initiatives for promoting regional development in the
"post-conflict" framework. A report on these issues
will be submitted to the European Council.
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