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Jorgo Chatzimarkakis: Union for the Mediterranean Failure, Reality or Vision? April, 22nd, Luxembourg. Introduction: The Union for the Mediterranean in short. Re-Vitalization of the EuroMed Relationship
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Jorgo Chatzimarkakis:Union for the MediterraneanFailure, Reality or Vision? April, 22nd, Luxembourg
Introduction:The Union for the Mediterranean in short • Re-Vitalization of the EuroMed Relationship • Inclusive & transparent partnership between the European Union and the Mediterranean Region • Built on existing EU-Med partnership structures without duplication
A Stronger Partnership — Why? • Mediterranean region is of strategic importance to the EU, in both economic and political terms. • Challenges in the region must be met • Example: 40 millions jobs needed → to maintain the current unemployment w. demographic increase in the South of the Mediterranean Basin • US spends 20% of their Direct Investment in their Southern Region; the EU 2%
Structure of the future partnership • Inclusive: non Mediterranean EU countries = "observer and partner" • Joint presidency between a Southern and a Northern Mediterranean Country • 20-strong secretariat & bi-yearly summit w. 43 invited countries • The European Commission → administration of communal funds
Goals of the future partnership • Political bridge betw. the African Union and the European Union • Political & economic partnership and increased integration; regional and interregional • Improving energy supply; • fighting pollution in the Mediterranean; esp. sea • strengthening the surveillance of maritime traffic and "civil security cooperation"; • setting up a Mediterranean Erasmus exchange programme for students, and; • creating a scientific community between Europeand its southern neighbours
Building a better partnership Improve where the EuroMed partnership was weak so far • Amongst others health • fight against drugs Reinforce existing efforts and structures • sustainable development, • cooperation between SMEs • strengthening of cooperation in theimportant field of civil protection
Examples of Good CooperationFEMIP Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) • assist economic development of the Mediterranean partner countries • Private sector support • Creation of an investment-friendly environment
FEMIP - The Governance Approach:Technical Assistance • Additional Risk Capital Fonds • Technical Assistance - identification - preparation - realisation - focus on private sector • Special Facilitiy for High Finance(Special FEMIP Envelope - SFE) • financing of „more risky“ operations by using standard products for the private sector
FEMIP - Governance ApproachFinancing the Partnership • in 2004 and 2005 € 2,2 billion and in 2006 € 1,4 billion for the lasting development in the southern basin • nearly half of the money for private sector investments • From July 2003 on: 70 operations of technical help technique for about € 47,8 m, followed by 24 operations in 2006 for € 12,6 m • in 2005 7 operations for about € 3.4 m, in 2006 7 operations for € 4,3 m • Opening of local offices: Cairo (2003),Tunis (2004), Rabat (2005)
FEMIP - Governance Approach: • FEMIP Trust Fund » - funding the creation of a better environment for private investments • multidonor, multisector, multi-usage (AT, CàR) • EUR 33.5m for the period from 2005 on • Local representative offices • Committee for the political dialogue:2 annual meetings of eperts supervised by ministers meetings • FEMIP Committee for consulting and exchange with participation EU member states and Mediterranean Sea states
A first conclusion • Achieve political and economic cooperation • Sustainable development • Political stability Through • Re-Vitalization of the EuroMed Relationship • Inclusive & transparent partnership • Better EU-Med partnership structures
More Information on Jorgo Chatzimarkakis • www.chatzi.de