TITLE: Europe's Commitment to Just Peace, Palestinian State 'Unwavering' -EU

AUTHOR:

PUB: Jordan Times

DATE: January 22, 2001

Europe's commitment to a just peace and a Palestinian state was "unwavering," a senior official from the European Union has said. Ambassador James Moran, head of the European Commission Delegation to Amman said the popular perception of the Fourth Meeting of Euro-Med Foreign Ministers at Marseilles last November had been "heavily coloured by the peace process, with allegations being made that our commitment to Palestinian aspirations had somehow softened." "But let me be clear on this," Moran said. "Europe's commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement has never wavered, and we have recalled time and again, most recently at the EU Nice Summit last month, that this involves among other things the establishment, through negotiation, of a democratic, viable and peaceful sovereign Palestinian state." The diplomat, who was addressing the Amman Rotary Club last Thursday in a speech entitled `EuroMed: What Next,' said that the EU's commitment was "stronger than ever." "EU High Representative Javier Solana and Special Envoy Miguel Moratinos [are] fully engaged in current efforts to get beyond the violence, including the setting up of an observer mission, and to re-start the negotiations," Moran said. "Sweden, which took over the rotating EU presidency this month, has confirmed that peace in the region is a top priority for EU foreign policy." Moran added that the effects of the conflict on Palestinian welfare were "of great concern" to the EU. "A recent and poignant example is the postponement of the opening of the EU-funded Gaza Hospital, a direct result of the border closures, which prevent staff, patients and supplies getting through," he said, pointing out that Europe continues to provide financial support to the Palestinians and in recent months, stepped up its contribution to help the Palestinian National Authority to deal with financial problems caus ed by the crisis. The ambassador also addressed several criticisms of the Barcelona process that have hailed mainly from the Mediterranean partners. "We recognised at Marseilles that we have only touched the bare essentials of what needs to be done if the region is to achieve lasting peace and prosperity, and we recognised that there had been problems," Moran said. He identified some of the chief challenges to successfuly EuroMed partnership as: "the negative consequences for economic development and integration... caused by the politics of the peace process; the slowness in the negotiation and ratification of Association Agreements; the lack of a sufficiently frank dialogue on issues such as human rights, migration and the prevention of terrorism; the slow development of South-South trade and continuing low levels of EU investment in the region; slow implementation of the MEDA assistance programme in a number of countries due in part to overly complicated procedures; inadequate public knowledge of what the partnership is and what it stands for." "We know each other well and we should not harbour illusions. So perhaps best to be frank, and to admit on both sides where we have gone wrong in the past, so that we can put things right for the future," Moran said. Moran said that "supranational issues" mean that the countries of Europe and of the Mediterranean need each other more than ever. "It is above all in our common interest, at a time when evergrowing supranational issues such as trade liberalisation, environmental protection, migration and the fight against terrorism and drugs need to be addressed in a structured regional forum," said Moran. "Many of our problems and aspirations are intimately bound up with yours, and can only be really dealt with through common endeavour." The ambassador added that in spite of its deficiencies, the Barcelona process had many achievements to its credit, among them, the creation of new regional networks and foreign and economic policy institutes; new and wide ranging EU Association Agreements; and regional programmes that have brought together civil society from throughout the partnership, and have made "a very real contribution to grass roots development." "Last but by no means least," Moran said. "The EU has mobilised over 9 billion euro in grants and loans to support the process. This represents more than double the aid provided to Med partners before Barcelona, and makes the EU by far the single largest source of civil aid for the region." Also, he said, in the five years since Barcelona, "a new spirit of real partnership has been built." "Before Marseilles, it has been the only major forum where all partners have met regularly, and there are strong indications that the two absentees from Marseilles [Syria and Lebanon] are returning to the fold," he said. The Marseilles meet, he said, addressed some of the concerns emanating from the Mediterranean region. "Stimulation of this `South-South' process was identified as a major priority for our actions under MEDA II," Moran said. The second phase of the financial arm of the Barcelona process, MEDA II, was announced at the Marseilles Conference. After MEDA I provided economic and financial aid packages to Europe's 12 Mediterranean partners during the period 1996-2000, MEDA II, with an increased budget, will cover the 2001-2006 period. "It is clear that the completion of a EuroMed free trade area over the next decade, a prime objective of the partnership, depends as much on this as it does on the implementation of the Association Agreements." As such, he said, the European Commission would work to accelerate this process, and the EU would urge all countries that have signed an agreement with the union to conclude free trade agreements between themselves. Moran said that one component of this would be facilitating full cumulation between our Med partners for exports to the EU market, based on harmonisation of their rules of origin."Given peace, of course, this is particularly important for Jordan's future economic development," he said. On trade, Marseilles stressed the need to take greater measures in the liberalisation of agricultural commerce, in line with WTO rules, which he said was "very much in the Med partner's interest and should provide considerable opportunities for growth and employment in rural areas." Marseilles reaffirmed the importance of agreeing a Euro-Mediterranean Charter for peace and stability which, although hampered by the [Arab-Israeli] conflict, should in future play "a useful role in strengthening confidence and stability, especially in the post-peace process period." Moran said that EuroMed programmes in social and cultural areas and in support of civil society would be continued and in many areas expanded and would soon included "an important new initiative" in Justice and Home Affairs. "When all of this is added to the need to carry on supporting Med partner's economic reform efforts, it doesn't come cheap," Moran said, adding that at Marseilles EU officials decided to allocate close to 13 billion euro in EU loans and grants over the next six years."This MEDA II programme thus represents a substantial real increase over MEDA I, and Jordan is in a particularly good position to benefit given the commitment to the Association Agreement and reform and the impressive results achieved in the last five years here," he said. As far as Jordan is concerned, it stands to benefit from a 40 billion euro Private Sector Support project that will provide technical assistance, training, access to capital for SMEs and policy support for such businesses over the next four years. "Our involvement with the Kingdom's economic development and transition does not end with aid," Moran said, pointing out that the EU and its member states have provided 1.5 billion euro over the last five years. "The EU is also by far the most significant source of foreign investment and we are your number one trading partner," the ambassador said. "And I wager that we will remain thus for a long time to come." "In short, we are more active than ever here and in the Med as a whole, and we are here for the long-term. It cannot be otherwise, when you think of how much is at stake, both for you and for us in Europe. We are in each other's backyard, and if we are to enjoy lasting peace and prosperity, we had better make sure that we are friends for life." END top