Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-29-Speech-3-108"
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"en.20000329.7.3-108"2
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"Mr President, the European Union’s Mediterranean policy raises questions, as this debate has shown. I too have questions about MEDA, not just for the Commission but also for those who have submitted these questions. For example, I have a problem with the conclusions they have based their questions on. They talk in terms of progress in the Middle East peace process, peace returning to the Balkans and improvement in the situation in the Maghreb. I join them in hoping that structural improvements are taking place in the regions concerned. However, I believe it would be jumping the gun to make drastic changes to the Mediterranean policy on the basis of what are likely to be incidental developments. I also take issue with the idea that the Mediterranean policy has been a complete disaster. We have most certainly notched up some successes in the four years we have had the partnership, notably the conclusion of the various Association Agreements.
By that I do not mean that we as a European Parliament should subscribe to the European Union’s current Mediterranean policy without a word of criticism. There is room for improvement in the vast majority of areas. As far as I am concerned, our first priority should be a change of attitude. If we use the term “partnership” to describe our relations with the Mediterranean countries, then we are committing ourselves to taking our partners seriously. This will undoubtedly lead to modest thoughts about Europe’s role in various peace processes, and in the upholding of human rights in partner countries. It will also lead to a more balanced Mediterranean policy on the part of the EU. The concept of partnership implies the articulation not just of European but also of Mediterranean thoughts on political and economic cooperation.
However, this is not just about underlying attitudes. We also need to give the management and implementation of the MEDA programme our attention. This has been found to have serious shortcomings in recent years. The Commission proposed various amendments last year. Seen in this light, we will need to reflect on the future of the Mediterranean policy in the coming months, focusing not so much on incidental developments as on the need for a long-term view. Honesty, balance and equality are the key words here."@en1
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