Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-10-Speech-3-041"
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"en.20020410.2.3-041"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, as a speaker from a non-Mediterranean country – at least a country which no longer qualifies as such – I should also like to extend my warm congratulations to the rapporteur, Mr Esteve, and thank him for liaising with us. The Barcelona Process is of tremendous significance for peace, stability and prosperity in Europe. Unfortunately it is suffering as a result of the recent intensification of the conflict in the Middle East. Nevertheless, we need to continue this process of rapprochement across the Mediterranean.
We even need to reinvigorate the Barcelona Process with the aim of making the Mediterranean a real
for all of the countries on its shores. The forthcoming meeting in Valencia – and I hope that it will be able to take place – should therefore be seen as a starting point for considering the creation of a new permanent and stable structure for cooperation and coordination. I know that in many cases not even the existing agreements are sufficiently implemented, but it is precisely in the light of recent events – from the attacks of 11 September to the war in the Middle East – that a multilateral organisation embracing the countries and regions on both sides of the Mediterranean is essential.
Clearly the variable records on human rights are still an obstacle to this vision becoming a reality. In fact, human rights need to be a central component of our dialogue. We need to convince our neighbours, firmly and persistently, that respect for and enforcement of human rights do not stand in the way of or contradict the fight against terrorism, but are actually prerequisites for a successful war on terror. However – and I should also like to draw your attention to this – we must not express our opinions self-righteously or arrogantly; we must do so with a willingness to engage in an intensive dialogue.
Finally, it remains to be said that in the light of the huge social problems, to which various colleagues have already referred – above all unemployment among young people – it is going to be necessary to create many new jobs in the region. To this end we need to fight a joint battle against corruption, nepotism and bureaucracy, but we also need to make it possible for increased investment to be made, in particular in small and medium-sized enterprises. To do this we also need a Mediterranean Bank, in which the European Investment Bank should, admittedly, for logistical reasons, have a majority holding. I might mention once more that the delicate political human rights issues on the one hand and the explosive social situation in this region on the other, in particular in the light of high population growth, are a volatile combination, which may affect all of us."@en1
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