MINUTES - PLENARY SESSION 1 - COPRODUCTION TO ACCELERATE THE ECONOMIC TRANSITION OF SEMCS: WHAT CONDITIONS AND WHICH JOBS?

“Currently, all major issues have a Mediterranean dimension. We’re in a new century and some politicians haven’t noticed!” declared Miguel Angel Moratinos. The former Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, now Chairman of IPEMED’s Political Steering Committee, denounced, “A vacuum, a silence, an absence, regarding the Mediterranean over the last four years. No initiatives, no proposals, simply fear and worries after the enthusiasm of the Arab spring. Everyone thought they were going to be like us. And instead of accompanying them in their thought process, Europe has closed in on its economic crisis and bolted itself into its medieval fortress. In the South, they followed their own impetus and waited for Europe to tell them what to do without taking the initiative. Four wasted years!”
Coproduction provides the mechanisms and methods to adapt to the specific features of the Mediterranean. Because we need to build from scratch, let’s build something new, let’s construct something modern together,” argued Miguel Angel Moratinos. He called for “The creation, once and for all, of this Mediterranean bank to mobilize financial resources,” and announced, “The launch of a Mediterranean Coproduction Observatory.”
For Jean-Claude Gayssot, former French Minister of Transport and Vice-president of the Languedoc-Roussillon Regional Council, “If we don’t fight to turn Europe towards the South and Africa, we will continue to turn in on ourselves and reject each other.”
“We are currently experiencing major convergence in a world undergoing great change. Rather than coproduction, we should be talking about co-creation of value,” commented Jaloul Ayed, former Finance Minister for Tunisia and Chairman of MedConfederation.
Claudio Cortèse, Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), was keen to point out the changes in a “UfM totally different from when it started out in 2008. Because the general situation has changed, the lens and analysis are now different in North and South.”
“Old Europe’s future lies in the South,” claimed Françoise Dal, Chairwoman of the International Relations Commission, Urban and Citizenship Policy for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council. “The idea of codesign is a good illustration of this sharing,” she concluded.
“IPEMED’s sister organization, the EMA, works for the visibility of the Mediterranean region in Germany and to encourage companies to consider it. We aim to relocate relocalisation! But the problem is finding managers. For us, the notion of employment is omnipresent,” explained Clara Gruitrooy, Executive Director of the Euro-Mediterranean-Arab Association, based in Hamburg.

According to Jamel Belhaj, Director of the Tunisian Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, “We need companies with the potential to develop on both sides. Coproduction can go further: as far as public services.” For the Tunisian banker, “The priority is to finance SMEs.” He suggestion was to, “Create a fund for French companies keen to come to Tunisia, and for Tunisian companies that want to set up in France.”
“Coproduction started off with major companies that brought their sub-contractors along,” pointed out Christian Badaut, Head of the International Division of the French Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.

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Coordinator: Taoufik MJAIED, Journalist, France24
Introduction: Miguel Angel MORATINOS, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Chairman of IPEMED’s Political Steering Committee
Jean-Claude GAYSSOT, Former Minister, Vice-president of Languedoc-Roussillon Regional Council
Jaloul AYED, Former Minister, Chairman, MedConfederation
Flavia PALANZA, Director, FEMIP
Claudio CORTESE, Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean
Françoise DAL, Chairwoman of the International Relations Commission Relations, Urban and Citizenship Policy for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council
Clara GRUITROOY, Executive Director of the Euro-Mediterranean-Arab Association
Jamel BELHAJ, Director of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, Tunisia
Christian BADAUT, Manager of International Division, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, France