Relations EU/Mediterranean countries: reinvigorating the Barcelona process

The European Parliament adopted the report by Mr Sami NA·R (PES, F). (Please refer to the previous text). However, the House would like to see eventually an Association of Euro-Mediterranean States that would be capable of developing a more integrated parntership. It wants the revived Barcelona Process to stress such issues as health, education, the rights of women and children, a sustainable environment, and culture. It reiterates many points made in previous resolutions, including a call for the association agreements to be replaced eventually by a single multilateral agreement. It wants to see a free trade area encompassing all sectors and that the experience in completing the single market to be used to lay down a body of rules to govern the Euro-Mediterranean free trade area with a timetable for certain priority sectors by 2002. In addition, the Parliament wants to open up a broad debate that would come forward with ways of introducing harmonised laws to regulate immigration. It also calls on the Commission to set up a migration monitoring centre to keep all matters relating to migration under constant review and the Euro-Mediterranean forum should establish a migration committee. Lastly, one amendment adopted calls on Member States to ensure that migrants resident in the EU enjoy equal treatment in respect of economic and social rights and recognition of civic, cultural and political rights. A further amendment calls on the EU to prohibit exports by European countries to Mediterranean partner countries of foodstuffs produced using substances banned in the EU and to introduce controls to this effect. �