Barroso and Ashton’s proposal gives only half of the answers – silent on key questions

Following the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on the situation in the Southern Mediterranean and the publication of a joint communication by the European Commission and High Representative Ashton, which was discussed today by foreign ministers and will be discussed tomorrow by the European Council, Franziska Brantner, foreign affairs co-spokesperson of the Greens/EFA Group, said:

“For years, the EU policy towards the Southern Mediterranean has sought to buy stability at the expense of democracy. With the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, it is now high time to revalue human rights, democracy and rule of law. The joint report presented by the President of the Commission and the High Representative is a step in the right direction but suffers from three major shortcomings:

“Firstly, the report does not envisage a review of currently ongoing negotiations with countries of the region that have not yet had their revolution, for example the ongoing negotiations with Syria. How does the EU intend to continue these negotiations?

“Secondly, what does the EU plan to change in relations with, say, Saudi Arabia? Does the EU, for example, intend to change its arms export policy to the region?

“Thirdly, the report calls for increased conditionality of EU aid (‘more for more’), but makes no reference at all on how to implement it. What are the criteria, who will verify them?

“Up to now Ms Ashton and Mr Barroso remain silent on these crucial questions. In fact, the report is really a report on Tunisia and Egypt. But for Tunisia and Egypt, it lacks ambition in terms of additional fresh money, and the proposed improved access to the EU market does not go far enough.

“So the question is: is the EU really up to speed? Does the EU really have a strategy and plan for the entire region and not just the countries that have already undergone revolutions?”