Commissioner Patten's Speech on the Signature of the Agadir Agreement at the EP

I am most honoured to be here today with you at the signature ceremony of the free trade agreement between Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. An Arab initiative, which the Arab Governments wanted for the good of Arab nations and citizens. And I am particularly honoured to represent today the European Union, as a friend and as a partner of the four signatory parties to this agreement. A partner for the long term.

The signature of this agreement marks a major step in the process of economic and social integration in the Arab Mediterranean world. But I am also convinced that it marks a leap forward in the process of creation of closer ties between the Arab Mediterranean world and the EU.

Eight years ago, Mediterranean and European partners issued the Barcelona Declaration. We all committed to promote peace and stability, to work together to create an area of shared prosperity, and to facilitate dialogue between our peoples and our societies.

Since then we have gone a long way towards our objectives. Eleven Association agreements between the European Union and Mediterranean partners have been concluded - and I very much hope the remaining one, the association with Syria, will be concluded very soon. Political, economic and cooperation relations have developed beyond our initial expectations, and we can say today, that the two shores of the Mediterranean are figuratively closer than ever.

Times, however, have been challenging for all countries in the region: we have witnessed the dramatic deterioration of the situation in Middle East; we have been faced with horrendous acts of terrorism and attempts at destabilising the region; and we have been confronted by the challenges of our changing societies and the demands of young generations that expect and wish for a future of peace and prosperity.

The Agreement you sign today is the expression of a collective commitment to address the challenges of the region through cooperation; to work together in a common endeavour to develop regional integration as an instrument of economic growth - and ultimately, as an instrument of political cooperation and peace.

The conclusion of this agreement is a major step towards achieving our common objective to create the Euro-Mediterranean free trade zone in 2010. With the signature of the agreement and its implementation you will be creating an increasingly attractive market for European investors - with more than 100 million people and a combined domestic product of nearly € 150 billion. This will certainly enhance the possibilities for success for business and trade relations in your countries. This will make you a trading partner as significant as Poland; and, with the access of other countries to Agadir in the near future, a more significant trading partner than any of the new acceding countries, Canada and Turkey.

But in addition, your companies will benefit from duty free access for all industrial products to the EU market. After enlargement this will mean duty free access to a market of over 455 million people - i.e. 455 M consumers - and a GDP of € 9,500 billion. The possibilities for this to help in creating the much needed employment, foreign investment and economic growth in the region are enormous, not least considering the fact that almost 60% of the value of the Agadir countries' exports go to the EU, and 50% of the imports come from the Union, even before its enlargement.

The European Union is particularly pleased that you have decided to open up the agreement to all Mediterranean partners that have concluded Association Agreements. We strongly encourage other partners to join the agreement. And, in this respect, we hope that the forthcoming Euro-Med Conference of Trade Ministers in Istanbul (in autumn 2004) will take the process of negotiation of free trade agreements between Mediterranean partners and Turkey forward.

Europe wholeheartedly supports this agreement. In Europe we have a large experience of sharing sovereignty in the trade field for many years. This is why , as friends and partners (and in full respect of your independence and sovereign decisions) we would like to offer this experience to you, so that we could work together on maximising the important trade, economic and regional integration opportunities provided by the signature of this agreement.

I would like to say a few words on the European Neighbourhood Policy. Let's make no mistake: The neighbourhood policy is not an alternative or a replacement to our Euro-Mediterranean partnership, but a vehicle to enhance and deepen the Barcelona Partnership. It is also an instrument to develop a policy for our neighbours who are calling for a closer relationship with the EU. The EU wants to develop with each neighbour, on the basis of our experience and of our current obligations, agreed action plans which set out the path we intend to pursue together so that you can share our prosperity. The EU represents some 20% of the world GDP and we want to share it with you.

There is much discussion today around the process of reforms in the Arab World. This is a process which has not suddenly come out of the blue. We have been working on it for a long time, among others through our Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The important principle is that reforms must be owned by the countries in the region themselves, even if helped by others. In the same manner that when the EU embarked on the process of reform years ago we did so under our own ownership, even if helped by others.

When in the 1950's the founding fathers of European integration started to conceive what some decades later would become the European Union, they were faced with scepticism if not with opposition. The process of European integration has been long, and sometimes difficult. But with the enthusiasm and the vision of those who believed in the European idea, we have re-unified a continent free from conflict and war; and we have enhanced the economic and welfare standards of its citizens to unforeseen levels.

There may be scepticism in some places about the Agadir Agreement. But I am convinced that the enthusiasm and determination of those who believe in regional cooperation will prevail - and that this agreement will become the blue-print for the economic integration of southern Mediterranean partners.

As with most other processes of regional integration - indeed as with our own regional integration process in the EU- there will be ups and downs. But the important thing is the political determination you will put behind such process. We are well aware that this is your journey, not ours; but, as friends and partners, we are ready to support you all the way along the difficult but rewarding path of reform - because your success in this process will be also ours.

| Top |