Resolution on the European Union's Mediterranean policy: 4th meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers in Marseille

The European Parliament has adopted the resolution on EU Mediterranean policy in the run up to the fourth meeting of Euro-Mediterranean Ministers for Foreign Affairs in Marseille. This resolution calls for a revivial of the Barcelona process on EU-Mediterranean cooperation that would establish a genuine multilateral free trade area at Euro-Mediterranean level. Both the Council and the Commission are urged to make the negotiating mandate more flexible to speed up the negotiations. Moreover, adequate funds should also be allocated to the EU Mediterranean policy, these funds should be controlled properly, especially in the allocation of MEDA appropriations. Furthermore, the Parliament stresses the importance of the human rights clause in the Euro-Mediterranean agreements and urges the Commission to assume its reponsibility in requiring compliance with the clause and raising the issue of respect for human rights in both multilateral and bilateral talks and also give priority to projects aiming to promote human rights, with particular emphasis on women's rights and to initiatives supporting the moratorium on capital punishment. The Council and the Commission are called upon to launch a wide-ranging debate with a view to pinpointing the means and legal instruments required to guarantee dignified and fair treatment for legal immigrants and combating racism and xenophobia. There is also concern over the debt issue, and there is a call for Member States to examine the possibilities of converting the debt owed by Mediterranean countries into funding for civil cooperation projects. Council and the Commission are urged to take the initiative to establish coordination among all parties in order to launch a concerted programme to galvanise investment in the Mediterranean region and in promoting private investment. Finally, the Parliament calls for the improved coordination between the policies of the EU and those of the individual Member States and stresses that they should promote all political and diplomatic initiatives aimed at bringing about a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. �