BETA


2018/2160(INI) Post-Arab Spring: way forward for the MENA region

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFET BENIFEI Brando (icon: S&D S&D) BROK Elmar (icon: PPE PPE), TANNOCK Timothy Charles Ayrton (icon: ECR ECR), VAUTMANS Hilde (icon: ALDE ALDE), SOLÉ Jordi (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), CASTALDO Fabio Massimo (icon: EFDD EFDD), BORGHEZIO Mario (icon: ENF ENF)
Committee Opinion FEMM ARENA Maria (icon: S&D S&D) Arne GERICKE (icon: ECR ECR), Teresa JIMÉNEZ-BECERRIL BARRIO (icon: PPE PPE), Ángela VALLINA (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Committee Opinion INTA
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2019/03/27
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2019/03/27
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 408 votes to 110, with 90 abstentions, a resolution on the post-Arab spring: the way forward for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The resolution aims to provide an assessment of the situation in the Maghreb and Mashreq countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria), eight years after the Arab spring, to identify certain trends and, in particular, to assess the response that has been provided by the European Union.

Insufficient progress

Members noted with concern that, eight years after the first upheavals, most of the legitimate aspirations of peaceful demonstrators for dignity, human rights and progressive social, economic and political reforms have still not been achieved in most countries. They are concerned about persistent and continuous violations of human rights and the rule of law and the persistence of a continued dire socio-economic situation in the region and, in particular, about the high levels of unemployment (affecting, in particular, women and young people) and social exclusion, which cause disillusionment and disenfranchisement on a large scale, especially among young people, making them more vulnerable to radicalisation. Members deeply regretted the persistent levels of corruption, nepotism and unaccountability in the region.

In spite of considerable political and budgetary investments and ongoing political and economic outreach, the EU has not succeeded in acquiring real and concrete political and economic leverage, the impact of its policies remains limited and it is not perceived by the countries of the region as a game changer.

Members regretted that the partnership's priorities were concluded with countries without any conditions and despite a significant and continuous decline in democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

A stronger European commitment

Parliament called for a stronger commitment and firmer vision from the EU to enable it to become a more central player. The European institutions, its Member States as well as national development agencies are called on to strive to provide a unified European stance towards the region, focusing on our common interests, to ensure a single and coherent European strategy, in order to fulfil the EU’s full potential as a meaningful supporter of democratic, economic and social reforms.

Members supported the aspirations of all those in the MENA region, including the majority of young people, who want to establish free, stable, prosperous and democratic. They s tressed that the long-term prosperity of post-Arab Spring countries goes hand in hand with their capacity to actively ensure the protection of universal human rights and the establishment and anchorage of democratic and transparent institutions that are engaged in protecting citizens’ fundamental rights.

In particular, the EU is invited to:

- engage with third country governments to end persistent and dominant control of state and economic resources and repressive laws and engage with the most vulnerable human rights defenders and civil society actors throughout the region;

- strongly support the EU's peace processes with a view to resolving conflicts in the MENA region;

- address the root causes of migration such as conflicts, environmental issues, extreme poverty and social exclusion and to re-orient political cooperation towards a more balanced and equal partnership with the MENA region, putting youth policies and investments towards local small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) at its heart;

- strengthen judicial cooperation programmes with partner countries in the region in order to promote the exchange of good practices and establish an effective legal arsenal in the fight against corruption;

- ensure that local civil society and the private sector are more involved and participate more in identifying needs within partner countries;

- help its partners to address the root causes of radicalisation and open up new opportunities for young people, by strengthening cooperation with the MENA region and placing the population, and in particular young people, at the heart of this cooperation;

- secure adequate visibility for EU efforts and EU assistance and investment in the region by means of enhanced strategic communication, public diplomacy, people-to-people contacts, cultural diplomacy, cooperation in educational and academic matters, and outreach activities to promote the Union’s values;

- enhance its support to the countries more willing to advance on democratisation, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by using all the available financial tools at its disposal, from macro-financial assistance, through the European Neighbourhood Instrument, to the European External Investment Plan, as well as to the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI);

Members highlighted the importance of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which is the only political forum that brings together the EU Member States and all the Mediterranean countries. They recalled the added value of parliamentary diplomacy and of the regular bilateral interparliamentary meetings which Parliament holds with its counterparts from the Southern Neighbourhood. They stressed that women can be powerful actors in the promotion and consolidation of peace, conflict resolution and stabilisation processes and supported a draft Euro-Mediterranean plan on inequality.

The resolution called on the Commission to act on Parliament's proposal to develop an ambitious Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus programme, separate from Erasmus+, and recalled its support for the financing of academic and vocational training programmes aimed at creating wide reserves of professional skills in the MENA region.

Lastly, Members called for renewed and intensive global cooperation to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Syria.

Documents
2019/03/27
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2019/03/26
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2019/02/12
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Brando BENEFEI (S&D, IT) on the post-Arab Spring: way forward for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The region that will be considered in this report is the Maghreb together with the Mashreq countries, thus comprising the Southern and part of the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria). The aim of this report is to provide an assessment of the situation in these countries eight years after the Arab Spring, to identify trends and, especially, to assess the response by the European Union.

Insufficient progress

Members noted with concern that, eight years after the first upheavals, most of the legitimate aspirations of peaceful demonstrators for dignity, human rights and progressive social, economic and political reforms have still not been achieved in most countries. They are concerned about persistent and continuous violations of human rights and the rule of law and the persistence of a continued dire socio-economic situation in the region and, in particular, about the high levels of unemployment (affecting, in particular, women and young people) and social exclusion, which cause disillusionment and disenfranchisement on a large scale, especially among young people, making them more vulnerable to radicalisation.

In spite of considerable political and budgetary investments and ongoing political and economic outreach, the EU has not succeeded in acquiring real and concrete political and economic leverage, the impact of its policies remains limited and it is not perceived by the countries of the region as a game changer.

A stronger European commitment

Members called for a stronger commitment and firmer vision from the EU to enable it to become a more central player. The European institutions, its Member States as well as national development agencies are called on to strive to provide a unified European stance towards the region, focusing on our common interests, to ensure a single and coherent European strategy, in order to fulfil the EU’s full potential as a meaningful supporter of democratic, economic and social reforms.

Members supported the aspirations of all those in the MENA region, including the majority of young people, who want to establish free, stable, prosperous, inclusive, and democratic countries which respect their national and international commitments on human rights and fundamental freedoms.

In particular, the EU is invited to:

- engage with third country governments to end persistent and dominant control of state and economic resources and repressive laws and engage with the most vulnerable human rights defenders and civil society actors throughout the region;

- strongly support the EU's peace processes with a view to resolving conflicts in the MENA region;

- address the root causes of migration such as conflicts, environmental issues, extreme poverty and social exclusion and to re-orient political cooperation towards a more balanced and equal partnership with the MENA region, putting youth policies and investments towards local small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) at its heart;

- strengthen judicial cooperation programmes with partner countries in the region in order to promote the exchange of good practices and establish an effective legal arsenal in the fight against corruption;

- help its partners to address the root causes of radicalisation and open up new opportunities for young people, by strengthening cooperation with the MENA region and placing the population, and in particular young people, at the heart of this cooperation;

- secure adequate visibility for EU efforts and EU assistance and investment in the region by means of enhanced strategic communication, public diplomacy, people-to-people contacts, cultural diplomacy, cooperation in educational and academic matters, and outreach activities to promote the Union’s values;

- enhance its support to the countries more willing to advance on democratisation, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by using all the available financial tools at its disposal, from macro-financial assistance, through the European Neighbourhood Instrument, to the European External Investment Plan, as well as to the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI);

Members highlighted the importance of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which is the only political forum that brings together the EU Member States and all the Mediterranean countries. They recalled the added value of parliamentary diplomacy and of the regular bilateral interparliamentary meetings which Parliament holds with its counterparts from the Southern Neighbourhood. They stressed that women can be powerful actors in the promotion and consolidation of peace, conflict resolution and stabilisation processes and supported a draft Euro-Mediterranean plan on inequality.

The report called on the Commission to act on Parliament's proposal to develop an ambitious Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus programme, separate from Erasmus+, and recalled its support for the financing of academic and vocational training programmes aimed at creating wide reserves of professional skills in the MENA region.

Lastly, Members called for renewed and intensive global cooperation to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Syria.

Documents
2019/02/04
   EP - Vote in committee
2019/01/24
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2019/01/17
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2018/12/18
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2018/10/18
   EP - ARENA Maria (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in FEMM
2018/07/10
   EP - BENIFEI Brando (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in AFET
2018/07/05
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament

Documents

Activities

Votes

A8-0077/2019 - Brando Benifei - Résolution 27/03/2019 17:32:55.000 #

2019/03/27 Outcome: +: 408, -: 108, 0: 90
DE IT ES FR BE RO SE PT NL BG GB AT FI DK LU LV HR LT EE IE CZ PL SK SI MT CY EL HU
Total
82
57
47
61
21
20
17
19
25
12
59
15
9
11
6
7
8
7
5
6
17
42
13
8
6
1
8
15
icon: S&D S&D
158

Netherlands S&D

3

Finland S&D

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Latvia S&D

1

Croatia S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Ireland S&D

For (1)

1

Czechia S&D

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

3
icon: PPE PPE
169

United Kingdom PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

3

Croatia PPE

Against (1)

4

Lithuania PPE

Abstain (1)

3

Estonia PPE

Abstain (1)

1
6
5

Greece PPE

For (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
54

Germany ALDE

3

Romania ALDE

2

Sweden ALDE

2

Bulgaria ALDE

3

United Kingdom ALDE

1

Austria ALDE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Croatia ALDE

For (1)

1

Lithuania ALDE

1

Estonia ALDE

2

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
46

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Hungary Verts/ALE

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
39

Italy GUE/NGL

2

Sweden GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

Abstain (1)

4

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

2

Cyprus GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Greece GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1
icon: EFDD EFDD
37

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

1

Lithuania EFDD

Abstain (1)

1

Czechia EFDD

Against (1)

1

Poland EFDD

1
icon: NI NI
13

Italy NI

For (1)

1

France NI

2

United Kingdom NI

Against (2)

Abstain (1)

3

Poland NI

Against (1)

2

Hungary NI

Against (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

Against (1)

4

Romania ECR

For (1)

1

Sweden ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

Against (1)

1

Finland ECR

1

Latvia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Czechia ECR

2
icon: ENF ENF
29

Germany ENF

Against (1)

1

Belgium ENF

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ENF

4

United Kingdom ENF

2

Austria ENF

3

A8-0077/2019 - Brando Benifei - Résolution #

2019/03/27 Outcome: +: 408, -: 108, 0: 90
DE IT ES BE FR RO SE PT NL BG GB AT FI DK LU LV HR LT EE IE CZ PL SK SI MT CY EL HU
Total
82
57
47
21
62
20
17
19
25
12
59
15
9
11
6
7
8
7
5
6
17
42
13
8
6
1
8
15
icon: S&D S&D
159

Netherlands S&D

3

Finland S&D

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Latvia S&D

1

Croatia S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Ireland S&D

For (1)

1

Czechia S&D

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

3
icon: PPE PPE
169

United Kingdom PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

3

Croatia PPE

Against (1)

4

Lithuania PPE

Abstain (1)

3

Estonia PPE

Abstain (1)

1
6
5

Greece PPE

For (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
53

Germany ALDE

3

Romania ALDE

2

Sweden ALDE

2

Bulgaria ALDE

3

United Kingdom ALDE

1

Austria ALDE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Croatia ALDE

For (1)

1

Lithuania ALDE

1

Estonia ALDE

2

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
46

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Hungary Verts/ALE

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
39

Italy GUE/NGL

2

Sweden GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

Abstain (1)

4

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

2

Cyprus GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Greece GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1
icon: EFDD EFDD
37

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

1

Lithuania EFDD

Abstain (1)

1

Czechia EFDD

Against (1)

1

Poland EFDD

1
icon: NI NI
13

Italy NI

For (1)

1

France NI

2

United Kingdom NI

Against (2)

Abstain (1)

3

Poland NI

Against (1)

2

Hungary NI

Against (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

Against (1)

4

Romania ECR

For (1)

1

Sweden ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

Against (1)

1

Finland ECR

1

Latvia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Czechia ECR

2
icon: ENF ENF
30

Germany ENF

Against (1)

1

Belgium ENF

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ENF

4

United Kingdom ENF

2

Austria ENF

3
AmendmentsDossier
320 2018/2160(INI)
2018/12/06 FEMM 55 amendments...
source: 631.921
2019/01/17 AFET 265 amendments...
source: 632.956

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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  • date: 2018-07-05T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2019-02-04T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2019-02-12T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2019-0077&language=EN title: A8-0077/2019 summary: The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Brando BENEFEI (S&D, IT) on the post-Arab Spring: way forward for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The region that will be considered in this report is the Maghreb together with the Mashreq countries, thus comprising the Southern and part of the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria). The aim of this report is to provide an assessment of the situation in these countries eight years after the Arab Spring, to identify trends and, especially, to assess the response by the European Union. Insufficient progress Members noted with concern that, eight years after the first upheavals, most of the legitimate aspirations of peaceful demonstrators for dignity, human rights and progressive social, economic and political reforms have still not been achieved in most countries. They are concerned about persistent and continuous violations of human rights and the rule of law and the persistence of a continued dire socio-economic situation in the region and, in particular, about the high levels of unemployment (affecting, in particular, women and young people) and social exclusion, which cause disillusionment and disenfranchisement on a large scale, especially among young people, making them more vulnerable to radicalisation. In spite of considerable political and budgetary investments and ongoing political and economic outreach, the EU has not succeeded in acquiring real and concrete political and economic leverage, the impact of its policies remains limited and it is not perceived by the countries of the region as a game changer. A stronger European commitment Members called for a stronger commitment and firmer vision from the EU to enable it to become a more central player. The European institutions, its Member States as well as national development agencies are called on to strive to provide a unified European stance towards the region, focusing on our common interests, to ensure a single and coherent European strategy, in order to fulfil the EU’s full potential as a meaningful supporter of democratic, economic and social reforms. Members supported the aspirations of all those in the MENA region, including the majority of young people, who want to establish free, stable, prosperous, inclusive, and democratic countries which respect their national and international commitments on human rights and fundamental freedoms. In particular, the EU is invited to: - engage with third country governments to end persistent and dominant control of state and economic resources and repressive laws and engage with the most vulnerable human rights defenders and civil society actors throughout the region; - strongly support the EU's peace processes with a view to resolving conflicts in the MENA region; - address the root causes of migration such as conflicts, environmental issues, extreme poverty and social exclusion and to re-orient political cooperation towards a more balanced and equal partnership with the MENA region, putting youth policies and investments towards local small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) at its heart; - strengthen judicial cooperation programmes with partner countries in the region in order to promote the exchange of good practices and establish an effective legal arsenal in the fight against corruption; - help its partners to address the root causes of radicalisation and open up new opportunities for young people, by strengthening cooperation with the MENA region and placing the population, and in particular young people, at the heart of this cooperation; - secure adequate visibility for EU efforts and EU assistance and investment in the region by means of enhanced strategic communication, public diplomacy, people-to-people contacts, cultural diplomacy, cooperation in educational and academic matters, and outreach activities to promote the Union’s values; - enhance its support to the countries more willing to advance on democratisation, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by using all the available financial tools at its disposal, from macro-financial assistance, through the European Neighbourhood Instrument, to the European External Investment Plan, as well as to the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI); Members highlighted the importance of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which is the only political forum that brings together the EU Member States and all the Mediterranean countries. They recalled the added value of parliamentary diplomacy and of the regular bilateral interparliamentary meetings which Parliament holds with its counterparts from the Southern Neighbourhood. They stressed that women can be powerful actors in the promotion and consolidation of peace, conflict resolution and stabilisation processes and supported a draft Euro-Mediterranean plan on inequality. The report called on the Commission to act on Parliament's proposal to develop an ambitious Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus programme, separate from Erasmus+, and recalled its support for the financing of academic and vocational training programmes aimed at creating wide reserves of professional skills in the MENA region. Lastly, Members called for renewed and intensive global cooperation to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Syria.
  • date: 2019-03-26T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20190326&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2019-03-27T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2019-0318 title: T8-0318/2019 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 408 votes to 110, with 90 abstentions, a resolution on the post-Arab spring: the way forward for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The resolution aims to provide an assessment of the situation in the Maghreb and Mashreq countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria), eight years after the Arab spring, to identify certain trends and, in particular, to assess the response that has been provided by the European Union. Insufficient progress Members noted with concern that, eight years after the first upheavals, most of the legitimate aspirations of peaceful demonstrators for dignity, human rights and progressive social, economic and political reforms have still not been achieved in most countries. They are concerned about persistent and continuous violations of human rights and the rule of law and the persistence of a continued dire socio-economic situation in the region and, in particular, about the high levels of unemployment (affecting, in particular, women and young people) and social exclusion, which cause disillusionment and disenfranchisement on a large scale, especially among young people, making them more vulnerable to radicalisation. Members deeply regretted the persistent levels of corruption, nepotism and unaccountability in the region. In spite of considerable political and budgetary investments and ongoing political and economic outreach, the EU has not succeeded in acquiring real and concrete political and economic leverage, the impact of its policies remains limited and it is not perceived by the countries of the region as a game changer. Members regretted that the partnership's priorities were concluded with countries without any conditions and despite a significant and continuous decline in democracy, human rights and the rule of law. A stronger European commitment Parliament called for a stronger commitment and firmer vision from the EU to enable it to become a more central player. The European institutions, its Member States as well as national development agencies are called on to strive to provide a unified European stance towards the region, focusing on our common interests, to ensure a single and coherent European strategy, in order to fulfil the EU’s full potential as a meaningful supporter of democratic, economic and social reforms. Members supported the aspirations of all those in the MENA region, including the majority of young people, who want to establish free, stable, prosperous and democratic. They s tressed that the long-term prosperity of post-Arab Spring countries goes hand in hand with their capacity to actively ensure the protection of universal human rights and the establishment and anchorage of democratic and transparent institutions that are engaged in protecting citizens’ fundamental rights. In particular, the EU is invited to: - engage with third country governments to end persistent and dominant control of state and economic resources and repressive laws and engage with the most vulnerable human rights defenders and civil society actors throughout the region; - strongly support the EU's peace processes with a view to resolving conflicts in the MENA region; - address the root causes of migration such as conflicts, environmental issues, extreme poverty and social exclusion and to re-orient political cooperation towards a more balanced and equal partnership with the MENA region, putting youth policies and investments towards local small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) at its heart; - strengthen judicial cooperation programmes with partner countries in the region in order to promote the exchange of good practices and establish an effective legal arsenal in the fight against corruption; - ensure that local civil society and the private sector are more involved and participate more in identifying needs within partner countries; - help its partners to address the root causes of radicalisation and open up new opportunities for young people, by strengthening cooperation with the MENA region and placing the population, and in particular young people, at the heart of this cooperation; - secure adequate visibility for EU efforts and EU assistance and investment in the region by means of enhanced strategic communication, public diplomacy, people-to-people contacts, cultural diplomacy, cooperation in educational and academic matters, and outreach activities to promote the Union’s values; - enhance its support to the countries more willing to advance on democratisation, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by using all the available financial tools at its disposal, from macro-financial assistance, through the European Neighbourhood Instrument, to the European External Investment Plan, as well as to the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI); Members highlighted the importance of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which is the only political forum that brings together the EU Member States and all the Mediterranean countries. They recalled the added value of parliamentary diplomacy and of the regular bilateral interparliamentary meetings which Parliament holds with its counterparts from the Southern Neighbourhood. They stressed that women can be powerful actors in the promotion and consolidation of peace, conflict resolution and stabilisation processes and supported a draft Euro-Mediterranean plan on inequality. The resolution called on the Commission to act on Parliament's proposal to develop an ambitious Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus programme, separate from Erasmus+, and recalled its support for the financing of academic and vocational training programmes aimed at creating wide reserves of professional skills in the MENA region. Lastly, Members called for renewed and intensive global cooperation to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Syria.
  • date: 2019-03-27T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
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        6.40.05.02 Relations with the countries of the Great Maghreb and Maghreb