Create an area of trust away from upheaval

Humour n° -
Published : Friday 27 April 2012 - Agnès Levallois
Jean-François Coustillière, consultant, explains the 5+5 initiative and its role as a laboratory for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

 

Why is 5+5 stirring up interest today?

The European Union itself put forward three tools devised to organize cooperation in the Mediterranean: the Barcelona Process (1995), the European Neighbourhood Policy (2003) and the Union for the Mediterranean (2008). Although the overall goal is the same: “Transform the Mediterranean into an area of peace, democracy, cooperation and prosperity”(1), these tools have failed in fulfilling their objectives and are viewed with suspicion. Given the current unfavourable context for developing Euro-Mediterranean relations, made worse by the decline of the Israel-Palestine issue and European hesitation in the face of successive Arab uprisings, the 5+5 initiative, which is centred far from the Middle East and is perfectly transparent with the EU, constitutes a laboratory for the Barcelona Process. It is well placed to build trust in an area smaller than the whole Mediterranean, but away from the most extreme upheavals, which are damaging for globalizing initiatives.
 

What are the upsides of this restricted area? Could it be described as informal?

5+5 is a modest, pragmatic initiative and, because its members are geographically and socially close to each other, they share a number of challenging concerns. Because 5+5 relations are intentionally discrete and practical, more technical than political, and genuinely based on partnership, its members are necessarily equal and less wary of hidden agendas. It is flexible and adapts itself to the priorities of the domain in question. It is non-binding and focused on the priorities of the various members, and its partners feel a strong commitment thanks to its fair handling of their concerns.

Have the changes of government in some countries encouraged renewed dialogue?

The changes have certainly done nothing to boost interest in discussions with the EU. On the contrary, there is a worry that in the eyes of the people, they could be associated with the idea of former leaders’ complicity with Europe. Yet, in those same countries, the 5+5 initiative appears to be more favourably perceived than other initiatives because its partners are free to take part, and cooperation is discussed and organized in consultation with other technical players. The history of 5+5 is not marked by personal involvement from heads of state like Ben Ali or Mubarak. As a result, it’s easier for leaders taking heed of vigilant public opinion to pick up 5+5 relations again.
 

How can 5+5 help the Maghreb’s integration?

5+5 was almost totally inactive throughout 2011: the last time the AMU (Arab Maghreb Union) organized a meeting of its Ministers for Foreign Affairs was in 2009.
At the start of 2012, it is interesting to observe that 5+5 scheduled numerous meetings, i.e. the Ministers for Transport in Algiers, Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rome, and the Defence programme steering committee in Rabat, all in under three months. At the same time, a meeting of AMU Ministers for Foreign Affairs was held in Rabat with a summit programmed for September-October in Tunis. This correlation shows that there is a synergy between the two initiatives. Whatever the case, and this is particularly perceptible in the 5+5 Defence cooperation, relations developed between the ten partners contribute to building up trust between those involved.


What are the priorities of 5+5 now?

First, we need to strengthen what we have and take current programmes further by more actively looking for projects of common interest. For each programme, we need to foster partnership methods that have worked in the most advanced programmes, and include the European Union as an observer. It would be a good idea to open new programmes in health, economics culture and agriculture. The underlying priority should be a focus on bringing societies together so as to definitively encourage the impro?vement of socio-economic circumstances: employment and access to vital resources (e.g. water and food), which are obvious conditions for prosperity and peace. This is how 5+5 would best fulfil its role as a laboratory for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the future.



Interview by Agnès Levallois

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1. UfM declaration of 13 July 2008.

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