Events

Study Days of the EPP-ED Group

Malta - 4-6 July 2007


Summary of Theme I: EUROMED
The peace process in the Middle East


Vito Bonsignore, Vice-Chairman of the EPP-ED Group
These Study Days bring together MEPs from the EPP-ED Group, the hosting government of the Nationalistic Party of Malta, Commissioners as well as MPs from the Mediterranean countries.
"Peace is a sine qua non for economic development and prosperity of our citizens", said Bonsignore. "Euro-Mediterranean partnership and the peace process in the Middle East are key priorities for our political group. Thanks to the King of Jordan, assisted by Saudi Arabia, the negotiation talks have reached an important stage. The new role of the Arab League is fundamental for funding of a long term solution only with the unity of the Arab countries", concluded Bonsignore.

Guido De Marco, Former President of Malta
More than a decade after the launching of the Barcelona Process, it did not bring tangible results since it was 'hijacked' by the conflict in the Middle East. The Mediterranean region is characterised with different political regimes, the presence of the three major religions in the world, and various historical and cultural heritage. "Strengthening the Mediterranean region is strengthening Europe", concluded de Marco".

Mohammed Al-Fatah Naciri, Director of the office of the European Affairs of the Arab League
Being the most influential political group in the EP, the EPP-ED Group is keen to give impetus to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and to enhance dialogue with the Muslim world. After highlighting the multiple conflicts in the Middle East region, in Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia, Naciri appealed to the EU to assert its role in the peace-making process in the Arab world. "The EU and the Arab league should work together to face these threats", he concluded.

Marc Otte, EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process
In order to develop a winning strategy, we firstly need to understand the players and their targets. "The EU does too little and too late. However we have to bear our responsibility and further deepen the dialogue with the Arab countries in order to be successful in our mission", said Otte.

Patrick Child, Head of Cabinet of Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commissioner for External Relations
You can raise many questions on the EU and on what the EU has done in relation to the conflict in the Middle East. But we have done a lot in the area of humanitarian aid giving relief to hundreds of thousands of refugees and those suffering in the conflict. Recently, improvements have been made, making Member States and the EU institutions, including the highly-successful visit to the region by the President of the European Parliament, work in a more engaged and coordinated way.

In the near future, we have to fund humanitarian support during the summer but we also have to find new ways to assist the new government in Gaza by building new institutions as well as lessening divisions between Gaza and the West Bank. Finally, we have to make best use of the new envoy to the area, Tony Blair, focusing on the economy and governance.

Tokia Saïfi MEP, Chairwoman of the Political Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, EMPA
While we, in the early 1990s, had hopes for peace in the Middle East, we now see the opposite with Palestinians fighting Palestinians and with extremists having the upper hand. This affects all the Mediterranean. EMPA plays an important role. This is the only forum where despite the worsened situation, Israeli and Palestinian representatives still meet and discuss. The initiative to organise a conference in Egypt later this year is another important opportunity for the elected representatives - representing people we know want peace - to meet.

Political parties from Europe have a responsibility to reach out to new generations of citizens where it is difficult for big institutions to include them in their work.

Michael Gahler, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament
The core conflict will remain even if we manage to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict. Combating terrorism will continue to be important and the international efforts must include Iran. We will not automatically have stability. The thriving anti-Americanism leaves an important role for the EU, considered to have honest ambitions.

Most important is to find long term solutions. There is no lack of alternatives; there is a lack of well-prepared initiatives. Among important factors to include in such a prepared initiative is to assist those moderate governments and forces in the region including the new government in Gaza that has to show proof and deliver to their citizens.

Jana Hybášková MEP, Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Delegation for relations with Israel
Malta is a perfect example of the common values of the two cultures and civilisations we are discussing. They have common ground, but there are still basic differences on the role of civil society and civil legislation that are incompatible. But the dialogue making these differences clear should continue.

This dialogue will not solve the current problems that need a pragmatic, realistic and knowledge-based approach. And we must ask more from the Palestinians. It is for President Abbas to initiate institutional reforms and solutions to problems in the Palestinian area to make a real two state solution viable. Egypt and Syria both have to be engaged in the process.

Disarmament is not often mentioned but the flow of weapons to the area has to be stemmed. We must do our utmost to avoid the 'Iraqisation' of Gaza. And it must be made clear to Hamas that breaches of human rights will not remain unpunished.

In the following discussion, Elmar Brok MEP underlined that in order to strengthen the possibilities for EU to act coherently and effectively, a common foreign and security policy with what cannot be called an EU Foreign Minister has to be put in place one way or another.

Gunnar Hokmark MEP
Underlined that the conflict between Israel and its neighbours is not isolated. If we don' realise that the conflict is much broader and much deeper than limited to this rather small geographical area, we will not even be successful in solving the problem in the small area. It is a conflict of political and religious values that goes far beyond Israel and Palestine. He also asked for responsibility to be placed where responsibility was due - Israel has responsibilities for the wall and other things we can criticise, but there is also a responsibility within the Palestinian Authority where a lot of wrongdoing for many years has created severe problems for the future.

Nickolay Mladenov MEP
As a European, it was painful for me to work the last year and a half in the Middle East and Iraq and see how invisible Europe is: people there do not need more military troops but more technical assistance, expertise and political dialogue with Europe.

It is necessary that both the EU and Member States review their assistance programmes and see how they advance democracy in the region. I am convinced that stability and prosperity do not come just through inter-governmental agreements but require the sustained effort of political parties and civil society.

Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP
Terror organisations have to be handled as such. They build there activities basically not on political or religious grounds that can be debated, but on hate. And to fight hate and terror you have to understand that it is a long term effort in the real sense of the word. It means struggle, it means it has a cost and takes in-depth engagement.

Mohammed Al-Fatah Naciri
Agreed that if the problem had been confined to Palestine-Israel, it would have been fairly easy to solve. Everything that has to be in place for a solution is available, but the wider conflicts make it difficult. Efforts should however be made and he concluded the seminar by calling for Europeans to play a more important role.

Mina Dermendijeva, EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +32-485-292411
Per Heister, EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +46-736-828090