Annexes to JOIN(2018)9 - EU position with regard to the adoption of the document: ‘Strengthening the EU-Tunisia privileged partnership: strategic priorities for the period 2018-2020’ - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
dossier | JOIN(2018)9 - EU position with regard to the adoption of the document: ‘Strengthening the EU-Tunisia privileged partnership: strategic ... |
---|---|
document | JOIN(2018)9 |
date | September 18, 2018 |
Whereas:
(1) | The Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Euro-Mediterranean Agreement’) was signed on 17 July 1995 and entered into force on 1 March 1998. |
(2) | Article 80 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement gives the Association Council the power to take decisions it considers appropriate for the purposes of attaining the objectives of the Agreement. |
(3) | In accordance with Article 90 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, the parties are to take any general or specific measures required to fulfil their obligations under the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement and are to see to it that the objectives set out therein are attained. |
(4) | The review of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2016 proposed a new phase of engagement with partners, allowing for a greater sense of ownership by both sides. |
(5) | The European Union and the Republic of Tunisia have decided to consolidate their privileged partnership by agreeing on a set of strategic priorities for the period 2018-2020 with the aim of supporting and strengthening resilience and stability in the Republic of Tunisia. |
(6) | The parties to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement should agree on the text of the strategic priorities, which translate the EU-Tunisia privileged partnership into practice for the period 2018-2020. Those priorities should support the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, focusing on cooperation in relation to commonly identified shared interests, |
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The Association Council adopts the EU-Tunisia strategic priorities for the period 2018-2020 as set out in the document: ‘Strengthening the EU-Tunisia privileged partnership: strategic priorities for the period 2018-2020’ set out in the Annex and recommends that the parties implement them.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
Done at …,
For the EU-Tunisia Association Council
The President
(1) OJ L 97, 30.3.1998, p. 2.
ANNEX
Strengthening the EU-Tunisia privileged partnership: the strategic priorities for the period 2018-2020
1. Introduction
Tunisia made a strategic choice in anchoring itself to the European area, and the development of a prosperous and stable Tunisian democracy within the neighbourhood of the EU is of mutual strategic interest.
The EU-Tunisia privileged partnership testifies to the special and dynamic bilateral relations that have been established, and the shared ambition to advance towards increasingly close links between Tunisia and the European area. The long-term objective is to develop an ambitious framework for future relations post-2020, building on the progress achieved and making full use of the opportunities for closer links provided by the European Neighbourhood Policy in the period 2018-2020.
In the context of the privileged partnership, Tunisia is fully committed to implementing the reforms necessary for the sustainable socio-economic development of the country and to ensure long-term progress in the democratic transition. Realising the scale of the challenge and the difficulties Tunisia is going through, the European Union reiterates its commitment to supporting implementation of these reforms as soon as possible.
The strategic priorities developed in this document translate the privileged partnership into practical terms for the period 2018 to 2020. The creation of future prospects for young people will be at the core of the actions of both sides. The focus will be placed on speeding up socio-economic reforms including improvement of the business environment, and the conclusion of a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement (DCFTA). Democratic consolidation, in particular effective implementation of the 2014 Constitution and good governance will also remain essential. Both sides will reinforce cooperation in the field of security and counter-terrorism, and in relation to migration and mobility with the completion of negotiations on visa facilitation and on readmission, and the increasingly active participation of Tunisia in EU programmes. Enhancing high-level political dialogue and dialogue with civil society and also the visibility of the partnership will go hand in hand with these efforts.
These priorities are based on the Tunisian 2016-2020 Five-Year Development Plan (1) and the Joint Communication Strengthening EU support for Tunisia (2).
2. Strategic priorities of the EU-Tunisia privileged partnership for the period 2018-2020
Partnership for youth
The EU and Tunisia consider enhancing young people's prospects for the future to be a major objective, as shown by the EU-Tunisia partnership for youth launched by the Tunisian President and the High Representative/Vice-President on 1 December 2016. In order to respond better to the needs of young Tunisians, the various ongoing and future actions should be more consistent. On the basis of the dialogue launched for implementing this partnership, the EU and Tunisia have undertaken to consolidate measures to promote youth employment and employability, mobility, and increased participation of young people in public life and politics, in particular in local initiatives. Employability will require the reform of education and vocational training, the creation of closer links between the private sector and educational and training systems, and the promotion of and support for innovative initiatives launched by young people, particularly in the areas of new technologies and culture. Support for the development of a Tunisian national strategy for youth will be a key element of the partnership, as will be strengthening institutions and organisations dedicated to youth.
Complementing this commitment to youth, both sides will work on the following strategic priorities:
2.1 | Inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development Tunisia's political progress can only be sustained if it is accompanied by economic progress on a similar scale. In view of Tunisia's fragile socio-economic situation, with high youth unemployment (especially among the educated) and significant regional and social disparities, one of the key objectives will be to contribute to turning round the Tunisian economy, to making it more competitive and diversified and to transforming it in an inclusive and sustainable fashion, with due regard for international commitments on the environment and climate change. The EU will continue to support and encourage structural reforms. More particularly, measures in the area of socio-economic development will be organised around the following commitments:
To foster social progress, both parties undertake to continue to promote:
Both sides remain fully committed to the process of negotiations towards a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) and have agreed on a concrete action plan for 2018 to enable progress to be made with a view to accelerating the negotiations with a view to concluding them as soon as possible. The EU and Tunisia will continue to promote the modernisation of the Tunisian economy for the benefit of all, including the most disadvantaged regions and communities, and to boost job creation, particularly for young people. Both sides undertake to increase Tunisia's economic integration in the European market as well as in the Maghreb region. In order to strengthen the role of innovation and research in economic, social and regional development, the EU and Tunisia will work on integrating Tunisia in the European Research Area, in particular by promoting higher education, strengthening governance, mechanisms for promoting public research and technology transfers between academia and industry. |
2.2 | Democracy, good governance and human rights The EU and Tunisia will continue to attach particular importance to the process of democratic reform and the promotion of good governance and the rule of law, to respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to the reinforcement of the role and participation of civil society. Both parties will continue to promote the process of political reforms through the effective implementation of the Constitution and of international commitments entered into by Tunisia. Priority aspects in the areas of good governance and respect for the rule of law will include in particular:
Priority commitments relating to respect for and promotion of human rights will include:
|
2.3 | Bringing peoples closer together, mobility and migration Bringing Tunisian and European societies closer together by stepping up exchanges between peoples, societies and cultures is a key pillar of the privileged partnership. This mobility dimension is particularly important in the implementation of the partnership for youth. Effective implementation of Tunisia's association with Horizon 2020 and its participation in Creative Europe and Erasmus+ will be the cornerstones of these efforts. The coordinated management of migration is a political priority for both Tunisia and the EU. Both sides will seek to improve dialogue and cooperation, in particular with the implementation of the Partnership for Mobility, consolidating the fight against root causes of irregular migration, and European willingness to support the implementation of a Tunisian asylum system. This cooperation, which will also reflect the regional dimension of these issues, will include:
|
2.4 | Security and counter-terrorism The EU and Tunisia face common security challenges that require both sides to take coordinated action, and they must proceed in line with the shared values of democracy and human rights. Tunisia intends to implement its global and multisectoral strategy for combating terrorism and violent extremism. Priority areas for cooperation will include:
The European Union will also continue to participate fully in the G7 + 6 group that ensures coordination between Tunisia's main partners. In addition, other areas of the partnership relating to security/defence could be further developed. |
3. The way forward for strengthening the privileged partnership between the EU and Tunisia
The importance attached by both sides to their relationship will continue to be reflected in the intensity of political contacts and regular visits, as part of a broader political dialogue on all topics of mutual interest, including regional and global issues. The regional dimension of these discussions should be consolidated. Both sides are aware, in this respect, of the importance of their cooperation in the context of the Union for the Mediterranean. In addition to the existing dialogues, both sides will work together with a view to the organisation of high-level EU-Tunisia meetings and the participation of Tunisian ministers in informal meetings with members of the Council of the European Union on certain subjects. Both sides encourage parliamentary cooperation between the European Parliament and the Assembly of the Representatives of the People [Assemblée des Représentants du Peuple].
The bodies of the Association Agreement (Association Council, Association Committee and the technical sub-committees) will continue to be the preferred fora for effective implementation of the Partnership. The EU and Tunisia will seek to enhance the effectiveness and added value of their work and, as far as possible, to group this work according to the major priority themes in line with the strategic priorities.
To make the priorities listed above more tangible, a roadmap is to be proposed by Tunisia and approved by the EU. This public document will set out the most urgent measures (legislative, strategic and operational) necessary for the socio-economic recovery of the country. This roadmap will be a flexible and operational mechanism for monitoring on a twice-yearly basis.
Under the Joint Communication, the EU undertook to significantly strengthen its financial support to Tunisia through the European Neighbourhood Instrument. The EU and Tunisia will seek to make maximum use of existing financial opportunities, including new instruments such as the EU External Investment Plan, making the most of complementarity and leverage effects between EU subsidies and loans provided by financial institutions. Both sides will seek to improve the synergy between political and sectoral dialogues, and the implementation of financial cooperation. They will also work towards strengthening mechanisms for coordination and dialogue with financial partners and international donors under the responsibility of the Tunisian side both as regards setting of priorities and their implementation.
Lastly, both sides undertake to give more visibility to the strategic relationship between the EU and Tunisia, and to promote the benefits of their cooperation among citizens on both sides of the Mediterranean.
(1) This plan advocates a new development model for sustainable and inclusive growth and is structured around five priorities: (i) good governance, public administration reform and the fight against corruption, (ii) transition from a low-cost economy to an economic hub, (iii) human development and social inclusion, (iv) realisation of regional ambitions, and (v) the green economy, which is a pillar of sustainable development.
(2) This Communication from the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council (JOIN (2016)47 final of 29 September 2016) is based on five priorities: (i) promoting good governance and public administration reform; (ii) reinforcing the role played by civil society; (iii) investing in the future: creating jobs and fostering sustainable economic development; (iv) reducing disparities throughout society; (v) support in tackling security challenges; (vi) joint efforts for better management of migration and mobility.