10th Anniversary Euro-Mediterranean Summit

FIVE YEAR WORK PROGRAMME

1. The aim of this programme is to implement the objectives agreed by partners at
the 10th Anniversary Euro-Mediterranean Summit in accordance with the
Barcelona Declaration of 1995. This work plan is designed to provide the basis for
Euro-Mediterranean cooperation for the next five years. It aims to deliver results
that will have a positive impact for all citizens in the region, thereby increasing
the visibility of the Partnership. This work programme, as well as the
implementation of the Association Agreements and the European Neighbourhood
Policy Action Plans, will be supported through technical and financial assistance
provided through the MEDA Programme, the future European Neighbourhood
and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), bilateral contributions from Member States,
FEMIP and other relevant financial instruments, at levels consistent with the high
ambition of our Euromediterranean Partnership.

Political and Security Partnership

2. To help realise a region of peace, security, prosperity and opportunity for our
present and future generations, we will continue to work together to reach a just,
comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. We will also
promote a peaceful, stable and secure Euro-Mediterranean Region through
partnership-building measures, joint regional projects, sustainable development
and strengthened rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights.

3. Moreover, members of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership will strive to achieve
their mutual commitments in this area including through measures that:

a) Extend political pluralism and participation by citizens, particularly women
and youth, through the active promotion of a fair and competitive political
environment, including fair and free elections;

b) Enable citizens to participate in decision-making at the local level including
by increasing the decentralisation of governance and the management of
public affairs and delivery of public services;

c) Increase the participation of women in decision-making including in
political, social, cultural and economic positions;

d) Ensure freedom of expression and association by facilitating the work of
independent information providers and increasing access to information for
all citizens;

e) Foster the role of civil society in accordance with national legislation as
appropriate and enhance its capability through improved interaction with
governments and parliaments;

f) Enable the further implementation of UN and Regional Charters and
Conventions on civil, political, social and economic rights to which they are
party and promote the ratification of other instruments in this area.

4. With a view to contributing to the above objectives:

a) The EU will co-operate with partners in promoting and supporting their
political reforms on the basis of universal principles, shared values and the
Neighbourhood Action Plans, in accordance with national priorities,
building on the commitment countries in the region have demonstrated to
reform, including in the Tunis Declaration;

b) In this context the EU will establish a substantial financial Facility to
support willing Mediterranean partners in carrying out their reforms taking
into account that successful reforms must develop from within the societies
of the region;

c) Euro-Mediterranean partners will meet internationally agreed standards in
the conduct of elections. In this context they will discuss the possibility of
developing, on a voluntary basis and upon request of the country concerned,
joint co-operation and exchange of experience in the field of elections;

d) Euro-Mediterranean partners will deepen dialogue on Human Rights issues
in the framework of the Association Agreements; representatives in the
permanent missions at UN Headquarters shall conduct informal exchanges
of views before the meetings of the UN Commission on Human Rights and
of the UN General Assembly where appropriate;

e) Euro-Mediterranean Partners will take measures to achieve gender equality,
preventing all forms of discrimination and ensuring the protection of the
rights of women;

f) Euro-Mediterranean partners will take action to implement the agreed Code
of Conduct on Countering Terrorism.

5. Euro-Mediterranean partners will develop and deepen dialogue on ESDP and
security issues with a view to strengthening co-operation, on a voluntary basis in
conflict prevention, partnership building measures and crisis management
activities, and also on civil protection and natural disaster prevention.

6. To implement the relevant paragraphs of the Barcelona Declaration as stated in
paragraph four of the Statement for the 10th Anniversary Summit.
The EU is also prepared to examine appropriate technical assistance in the field of
clearing areas affected by land mines.

Sustainable Socio-Economic Development and Reform

7. To work towards creating more job opportunities for the increasing numbers of
young people across the region, reducing regional poverty rates and closing the
prosperity gap and raising GDP growth rates, Euro-Mediterranean partners will
undertake measures to achieve:

a) An improved business climate, in particular for SMEs, including by
reducing regulatory and administrative obstacles to the creation and
operation of businesses, as well as the time taken to create a new business;

b) Increased access to bank lending by the private sector through consolidating
and liberalising the financial sector, improving financial supervision and
facilitating cooperation between financial institutions;

c) Improved management and upgrading of public institutions;

d) Consolidated macro-economic stability and improved public finance
management;

e) Strengthened social protection systems to ensure a basic standard of living
for the most vulnerable;

f) Developed national capabilities in the field of scientific and technological
research and innovation to establish a knowledge based society through
increased co-operation with and access to relevant European programmes
and institutions;

g) Better socio-economic inclusion, in particular in order to face social
consequences of sectoral restructuring;

h) A significant increase in the percentage of women in employment in all
Euro-Mediterranean partner countries;

i) Increased labour force productivity through greater access to vocational and
technical training and measures to encourage technology transfer from
European partners. An increased role for the private sector in financing and
training within the workplace;

j) An increase in the region’s domestic investment and of its share of global
foreign direct investment, particularly in non-oil sectors, by inter alia
improving its investment climate and supporting efforts to attract foreign
and domestic investment that contribute to the creation of new jobs in the
region;

k) An increase in the percentage of the labour force working in the private
sector;

l) An increase in north-south and south-south regional or sub regional cooperation
through financial assistance in fields of mutual interest.

8. With a view to contributing to the above objectives and based on the Barcelona
Declaration, Euro-Mediterranean partners will:

a) Design and implement a road map, the components of which should be
developed in a comprehensive way, in accordance with the provisions of the
Association Agreements, for the creation of a Free Trade Area by 2010.

This road map includes:

i) The progressive liberalisation of trade in agriculture, processed
agricultural products and fisheries products, with a possible selected
number of exceptions and timetables for gradual and asymmetrical
implementation, taking into account the differences and individual
characteristics of the agricultural sector in different countries, building
on the Euromed Association Agreements and regional free trade
agreements, based on the Rabat roadmap. Non-tariff aspects of
agricultural trade liberalisation should be properly dealt with, along
with other issues such as rural development, agricultural productivity
and quality, as well as sustainable development. Negotiations will
start with partner countries as soon as possible;

ii) The progressive liberalisation of trade in services taking into account
the non binding Framework Protocol adopted in Istanbul in 2004, in
order to open negotiations on a voluntary basis on agreements on
services and establishment of partner countries as soon as possible;

b) Advocate the acceleration of the conclusion of free trade agreements with
each other, and promote other regional agreements and bilateral trade
agreements; and work for the entry into force of the Agadir Agreement at
the latest by the end of 2005;

c) Take advantage of the adoption of the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean protocol on
cumulation of origin as a step towards promoting intra and inter-regional
integration;

d) Approximate standards, technical legislation and conformity assessment,
and provide support and assistance to that end, so as to pave the way for the
negotiations of Acceptance and Cooperation Assessment Agreements on
Industrial Products (ACAAs) and the elimination of technical obstacles to
commerce at the latest by 2010;

e) Assess in December 2006 the possibility of the incorporation of an EIB
majority owned subsidiary dedicated to the Mediterranean partner countries
on the basis of an evaluation of FEMIP’s performance;

f) Apply the principles of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise and
assess together their implementation;

g) Take measures to promote the conditions to allow a substantial increase in
the European investment rate in southern Mediterranean partner countries;

h) Encourage the increase of the investment rate in the region by supporting
regional programmes and networks towards this end. Establish an ad hoc
group to examine ways and means of enhancing investment flows across the
Mediterranean region and monitor progress;

i) Strengthen impact analysis of economic reforms and co-operation in the
region;

j) Promote environmental sustainability and implement the Mediterranean
Strategy for Sustainable Development. To develop as soon as possible a
road map for de-polluting the Mediterranean by 2020, based on the
recommendations of Euromed Environment Ministers using inter alia the
MSSD and the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan towards this end, while
providing adequate financial and technical assistance to this end. The goal
should be to tackle all the major sources of pollution including industrial
emissions, municipal waste and particularly urban wastewater. Exchange
experience on sustainable development in the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean
and the Black Sea;

k) Develop scientific and technological research and innovation and facilitate
the transfer of technology in accordance with national legislation;
implement the recommendations of the 2005 Euromed Dundalk Ministerial
Conference on ICT; invite the competent EU authorities to extend the
Eureka Programme to all Mediterranean partners;

l) Launch by 2007 at least two projects implementing EU regional policy
methodology in two pilot regions in the south and review the results with a
view to making recommendations on future projects;

m) Develop a regional transport infrastructure network and adopt a set of
recommendations at the Marrakech Euromed Transport Ministerial
Conference in December 2005 to boost transport co-operation;

n) Implement sub-regional energy projects to promote a Euro-Mediterranean
energy market, including the progressive integration of Mashrek-Maghreb
electricity networks with the EU electricity network; the integration of
Middle East gas networks, energy co-operation between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority; and several important pipeline connections;

o) Co-operate to enhance the impact of tourism on job creation, infrastructure
development and inter-cultural understanding while ensuring environmental
sustainability;

p) Promote effective health cooperation as an essential factor for social and
economic development.

Education and Socio-Cultural Exchanges

9. Recognising the crucial role of education for political, social and economic
development, partners will improve equitable access to quality education in line
with the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All objectives.
Euro-Mediterranean partners commit to undertake measures aiming to:

a) Halve the number of illiterate female and male adults and children by 2010;

b) Ensure equality of access to quality education at all levels for girl and boy
students by 2015;

c) Ensure that by 2015 all children complete at least primary education;

d) Reduce disparities in educational achievement between Euro-Mediterranean
states under internationally recognised education standards;

e) Increase completion rates at the different education levels, particularly for
girls and students with special needs;

f) Enhance graduate employment through efficient, high quality higher
education and greater co-operation across higher education and research;

g) Increase awareness and understanding of the different cultures and
civilisations of the region, including through conservation and restoration of
cultural heritage.

10. With a view to contributing to the above objectives, Euro-Mediterranean partners
will:

a) Increase significantly funding devoted to education in the Mediterranean
region through EU assistance and Mediterranean partners’ national plans
and raise education as a priority sector within the ENPI;

b) Increase enrolment rates through increasing the number of schools and
rehabilitating existing schools, and by measures to stimulate demand
including community involvement;

c) Expand and improve illiteracy eradication and adult education programmes
across society with special focus on females;

d) Expand and improve education opportunities for girls and women, as a basic
right;

e) Work to strengthen the quality and relevance to the labour market of
primary and secondary education and training by increasing the
effectiveness of the school system, promoting skills, innovation and active
self-learning, providing continuous education and training for the teaching
force, making appropriate use of educational materials and information
technology and e-learning, and through the monitoring of quality assurance,
including support for participation in international assessments (e.g.
TIMSS);

f) Support market based reform of Technical and Vocational Education and
Training, the involvement of commerce and industry, and rationalisation of
qualifications;

g) Enhance the capabilities of universities and higher learning institutions,
including by encouraging networking between them within the Euro-
Mediterranean region, and improve the relevance of their programmes to
labour market demands and the knowledge-based society;

h) Introduce a standard of university education qualification transferable within
the Euro-Mediterranean region, encourage distance education and electronic
communications and promote student exchanges;

i) Increase access to the internet and create a Virtual Library to increase the
accessibility of textbooks, reference books, publications and documents
including in the original Arabic and through translating between Arabic and
European languages;

j) Support the work of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the
Dialogue Between Cultures to improve intercultural understanding through
regular dialogue, promotion of exchanges and mobility between people at
all levels;

k) Work to increase the involvement of civil society in the EuroMed
partnership;

l) Launch a substantial scholarships scheme for university students from Euro-
Mediterranean Partner countries and increase mobility grants for Higher
Education staff;

m) Strengthen youth dialogue through the Euromed Youth Platform and
promote youth exchanges;

n) Co-operate to combat discrimination, racism and xenophobia and to increase
tolerance, understanding and respect of all religions and cultures;

o) Enhance the role of the media for the development of intercultural dialogue,
including by supporting the setting up of multicultural and multilingual
channels and portals.

Migration, Social Integration, Justice and Security

11. Acknowledging that Migration, Social Integration, Justice and Security are issues
of common interest in the Partnership, and should be addressed through a
comprehensive and integrated approach, the Euro-Mediterranean partnership will
enhance co-operation in these fields to:

a) Promote legal migration opportunities, work towards the facilitation of the
legal movement of individuals, recognising that these constitute an
opportunity for economic growth and a mean of improving links between
countries, fair treatment and integration policies for legal migrants, and
facilitate the flow of remittance transfers and address ‘brain drain’;

b) Reduce significantly the level of illegal migration, trafficking in human
beings and loss of life through hazardous sea and border crossings;

c) Continue to pursue the modernisation and efficiency of the administration of
justice and facilitate access to justice by citizens;

d) Reinforce judicial co-operation, including on cross border issues;

e) Facilitate solutions to problems arising from mixed marriage disputes and
child custody cases and encourage cooperation in accordance with the
principle of the UN Convention of 1989 on the Rights of the Child and
national legislation;

f) Promote the ratification and further implementation of the relevant UN
conventions on combating organised crime and drugs, and improve cooperation
by law enforcement agencies.

12. With a view to contributing to the above objectives Euro-Mediterranean partners
will:

a) Hold a Ministerial meeting to discuss all issues pertinent to migration. And
hold an expert senior officials meeting to prepare the Ministerial and discuss
other issues of relevance;

b) Develop mechanisms for practical co-operation and sharing experience on
managing migration flows humanely, deepen dialogue with countries of
origin and transit and explore options for providing assistance for countries
of origin and transit;

c) Promote schemes for safer, easier, less expensive channels for the efficient
transfer of migrants’ remittances, encourage active contacts with expatriate
communities to maintain their participation in the development process in
their country of origin;

d) Develop ways to assist capacity building for those national institutions in
partner countries dealing with expatriates;

e) Promote legal migration opportunities and integration of migrants;

f) Enhance cooperation to fight illegal migration. This cooperation should
involve all aspects of illegal migration, such as the negotiation of different
kinds of readmission agreements, the fight against human trafficking and
related networks as well as other forms of illegal migration, and capacity
building in border management and migration;

g) The Euromed Partners welcome the convening of a Euro-African
Conference on Migration;

h) Develop contacts, training and technical assistance for judicial and legal
professionals, building on the Euromed Justice Programme, the ENP Action
Plans and other agreed multilateral and bilateral instruments, with the
participation of the concerned Mediterranean partners in the design and
implementation process;

i) Develop contacts, training and technical assistance for police and law
enforcement officers, building on ENP Action Plans, other agreed
instruments and the Euromed Police Programme, encouraging networks in
the Euromed region and drawing on the expertise of Europol with the
participation of the concerned Mediterranean partners in the design and
implementation process.