European Parliament approves Med Union plans

The European Parliament has endorsed plans set out by the European Commission for the creation of a Union of the Mediterranean - a new partnership between the EU and the countries bordering the Mediterranean.

Meeting in a mini-plenary session in Brussels, the European Parliament approved a resolution backing the setting up of the Med Union with 562 votes in favour, 50 against and 30 abstentions. All Maltese MEPs approved the resolution.

Speaking during the debate prior to the vote, Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil welcomed the initiative and called on EU member states to make sure that the new Union, seen as a continuation of the Euro-Med Barcelona process, truly works.

"Maybe the defect of the Barcelona process was that our North African partners looked at this partnership as an imposed structure by the EU," Dr Busuttil told MEPs.

"We need a new beginning and this new partnership should be based on proper and equal participation between the two sides."

The European Parliament resolution supported the ideas presented by the Commission last month on how the new process should be taken forward.

The proposals include the setting up of a secretariat and the creation of a permanent committee of Euro-Mediterranean representatives. It also suggested biennial summits at heads of government level and the establishment of a co-presidency to manage these summits. Foreign affairs ministerial meetings will take place on an annual basis.

According to the Commission, projects will be at the heart of the new initiative, promoting growth, employment, regional cohesion and economic integration. These areas in which projects may be identified include energy and energy security, environment, civil protection and transport.

The Commission's proposals will now be discussed by EU leaders at their mid-year summit later on this month in Brussels.

The new Mediterranean Union is scheduled to be formally launched during an EU-Med summit on July 13 in Paris just a few days after France takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU.

Malta has shown an interest in hosting the secretariat of the new union while Morocco and Tunisia are also in the running.

In its resolution, the European Parliament said that the secretariat should be integrated in the existing commission services indicating that it prefers the new administrative structure of the Union to be based in Brussels.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is expected to represent Malta at the Paris summit.