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Email this citationCIAO DATE: 03/03
2nd IAI-SWP Review Conference on the Mediterranean
Daniela Pioppi
June 2000
Abstract
In the opening session the two directors of the IAI-SWP exercise, Roberto Aliboni and Volker Perthes, together with Franco Zallio (Fintesa Studi Paese) gave a first overview of the main issues and problems faced by the Euro-Med Partnership (EMP).
Volker Perthes’ introduction focused on more political issues. He started by underlining the fact that the EMP is an experiment of ‘regional governance’ (expression taken from ‘global governance’). However, the region comprised by the EMP is not a geographical expression. The EU decided who was to be included (i.e. Libya and the Balkans are excluded, but Jordan or EU non-Mediterranean countries are comprised). Therefore, the problem remains: what is a proper region for the EMP undertaking?
The political issues in the EMP for the next years are:
(a) rapid elites change (the average number of years in power of top decision-makers in the Middle East and North Africa region fell recently from 23 to 14 years and will probably drop further). By elites it is meant not only prime decision-makers (presidents, kings) but also the ruling class as a whole.
(b) the chances and limitations of political change.
In this transition, the EU has the capacity to assist Southern Mediterranean countries but its assistance must be complementary to that of the United States, as a more definite and powerful actor in the international arena. Where the EU can more effectively take action is in implementing the third basket of the EMP and encourage civil society exchanges and democratisation of polities. In any case, there is a problem of EU credibility. In order to reinforce such credibility, EU member states should be more committed to improve administrative procedures in order to facilitate human exchange (e. g. proposal of a ‘Barcelona visa’).
Perthes concluded by mentioning that main political issues to be discussed are:
(a) what is the best way not to compromise the Barcelona’s acquis (i.e. free trade in agriculture; human rights);
(b) political conditionality;
(c) ownership of the Barcelona Process. The EMP is perceived by Third Mediterranean Countries (TMCs) as a European initiative.
