Introduction:
In June 2000, the European Council adopted a Common Strategy on the Mediterranean Region , committing itself to support the efforts of the parties to conclude and implement peace agreements and to consider what support the Barcelona Process can lend to stability in the Middle East.

 
Official Journal of the European Communities
22.7.2000 L 183/5
COMMON STRATEGY OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL on the Mediterranean region
(of 19 June 2000)

(2000/458/CFSP)

THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, in particular

Article 13(2) 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 cooperation
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. This 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 cooperation 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 an area of shared 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 States, including 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 cooperation 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, cooperative
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 cooperation 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
cooperation,
-- 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 coordination, 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-oriented 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 aspects
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,
-- to elaborate partnership-building measures, notably by
promoting regular consultations and exchanges of
information with its Mediterranean partners,
-- to provide timely and appropriate information on
initiatives that could be of concern to other Mediterranean
partners,
-- to reinforce cooperation against global challenges to
security, such as terrorism, organised crime and drug
trafficking,
-- to cooperate 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,
-- to explore possibilities to address problems of antipersonnel
landmines in the Mediterranean region
through cooperation in mine action, including mine
clearance, mine awareness and victim assistance, with a
view to promoting the objectives of the Ottawa
Convention,
-- to promote the signature and ratification by Mediterranean
partners of all non-proliferation instruments,
including the NPT, CWC, BWC and CTBT,
-- to 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 nongovernmental
actors in the region through human
rights training, monitoring, advocacy and awarenessraising,
-- 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 on
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
cooperation and integration and the expansion of trade
flows,
-- work towards strengthening stability in the Middle East
by means of cooperative 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 aspects
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 subregional cooperation, such
as within the Arab Maghreb Union, within a framework
leading to wider regional cooperation,
-- 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-sized
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 cooperation
through the EU budget, notably MEDA, and the EIB, by
the following measures:
-- the European Community and the Member States will
coordinate their respective financial and development
cooperation 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 coordination
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 aspects
21. In addition to cooperation within 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 cooperation at bilateral and regional
levels. Particular attention will be paid to the media
and universities,
-- support efforts towards promoting cooperation 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 young people and women
with the objective of enhancing their integration into
the labour markets. In this context, regional cooperation
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 cooperation 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 cooperation 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 cooperation 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 will 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 this Common 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 EC Treaty, the
Commission shall be fully associated in accordance with
Articles 18 and 27 of the EU Treaty.
26. The Council and the Commission shall, in accordance with
Article 3 of the EU Treaty, 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 this
Common Strategy by making appropriate and coordinated
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
Common Strategy, and, where there are inconsistencies,
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 this Common Strategy will be implemented.

Coordination
29. Member States shall make additional efforts to coordinate
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
coordination shall take due account of Community
competence.
30. Member States participating in other forums, 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 coordinating their activities
on the ground.
32. The Council, the Commission and Member States shall
work towards more effective cooperation with regional
and international organisations, and will seek with other
like-minded countries to achieve the objectives of this
Common 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
Common 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` cooperation in the
implementation of this Common 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 Common
Strategy to the European Council.

34. The Commission shall contribute to the above within its
competence.

Cooperation with the Mediterranean partners
35. The European Union and its Member 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.

Done at Santa Maria da Feira, 19 June 2000.
For the European Council
The President
A. GUTERRES



* * *

More Middle East Peace Documents at PforP.net