EU en Tunesië willen relatie verbeteren door beter statuut (en)

The European Union and Tunisia have held their eighth Association Council meeting in Brussels. The EU i was represented by the Spanish Secretary of State Diego Lopez Garrido, whose country currently holds the Presidency of the EU, and by the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Fule i. The Tunisian Foreign Minister, Kamel Morjane, represented his country.

At the end of the Council, the three representatives appeared at a press conference to describe the main results, most notably the decision to strengthen EU-Tunisian relations through an advanced statute.

To that end, it was agreed to establish an ad hoc working group, which will be tasked to work on a roadmap.The advanced statute will focus on more intensive political dialogue, legislative alignment and a comprehensive and detailed trade agreement.

Although a timetable was not set, Commissioner Fule stated his desire for the group to start work in June so results can be seen by the end of the year.

The political dialogue between the two sides also focused on human rights and political pluralism and economic and regional issues such as the Union for the Mediterranean, the EU-Africa partnership and the situation in the Middle East.

EU-Tunisian relations are developing in the framework of the Association Agreement signed in 1995, the first to be signed by Europe with a country from the southern shores of the Mediterranean. The Agreement covers political, economic, social, scientific and cultural cooperation and provides for the gradual establishment of a free trade zone.