Dear Mr President,
Honourable Members,
It is my pleasure to address you today about the new strategic and comprehensive partnershipbetween the European Union and Tunisia.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed less than two months ago during the joint visit of President von der Leyen, together with Prime Minister Meloni and Prime Minister Rutte to Tunis. It also follows the discussion at the European Council in June that has welcomed the work on this solid partnership package.
This is an investment in our shared prosperity, stability and in the future generations. The reasons for it are compelling. The EU and Tunisia are bound by a shared history and geography, and we share strategic interests. In times of geopolitical uncertainties, it is important to deepen cooperation with our strategic partners. In this context, we agreed with Tunisia on a comprehensive package of measures that we are now putting into practice swiftly.
The Memorandum of Understanding aims to strengthen our comprehensive cooperation with Tunisia with a view to intensify further our already existing cooperation for the benefit of both partners, and to tackle a number of challenges and seize the opportunities in five areas:
The implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding should result in clear objectives and targets, for short, medium and long-term. We have high expectations that this partnership will deliver tangible results, through a closer partnership, for the mutual benefit of our citizens.
Just to give you a few examples.
One of the core objectives of this strategic and comprehensive partnership with Tunisia is to address the migration-related challenges in a comprehensive and sustainable way. The recent trends, including the difficult situation of the migrants stranded at the border regions, or the high number of irregular arrivals illustrate the urgency to redouble our efforts and closely cooperate on the matter.
First, we are strengthening our ongoing engagement on protection, in close cooperation with IOM, UNHCR and other international organisations and local NGOs to ensure the protection of migrants in vulnerable situations. For example, we are providing immediate relief such as the provision of water, first aid, medical aid, emergency shelter, hygiene kits, and are addressing the protection of needs of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, also supporting the efforts of the host communities.
Second, it is essential to prevent the irregular departures that too often end up in tragedies. We will strengthen the border protection capacities of Tunisia, including strengthening its coastal surveillance system, the refitting and delivery of patrol vessels, and supporting to land border control, in close cooperation with our Member States, with full respect to human rights.
Third, we need to redouble our efforts to crack down on criminal networks of smugglers and traffickers, on the basis of the anti-smugglingoperational partnership as announced during the visit of Commissioner Johansson already in April. They are exploiting human despair, and we have to break their reckless business model.
In the upcoming period the focus is on swift implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding, in cooperation with Tunisia and in line with established rules and procedures. It is already underway, with regular technical and political level meetings with the Tunisian authorities, and several exchanges in the Council and the European Parliament.
The respect for human rights and democratic principles is enshrined in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which is the overarching legal framework for the bilateral relations. In addition, the objective is to hold the EU-Tunisia Association Council by the end of the year to tackle many aspects of the bilateral partnership, including the situation of human rights and fundamental values. It will also be the occasion to endorse the new EU-Tunisia Strategic Priorities, that are being prepared in parallel to the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Thank you for your attention.
Closing remarks:
Dear President,
Honourable Members,
Thank you for the valuable inputs and your overall support for the strengthening of the EU-Tunisia relations.
This reinforced partnership through the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding will be to the benefit of our people.
Migration is an important pillar of this comprehensive approach. The European Commission is committed to deliver tangible results, together with Tunisian authorities, and in close cooperation with the Member States in the fields of protection, border protection, anti-smuggling, return and reintegration, and legal migration.
Undoubtedly, a number of recent developments are a source of concern. But this is exactly one of the reasons for which this new comprehensive and strategic partnership with Tunisia that allows to address the current challenging situation is needed on the ground.
There can be no doubt that the current trends make it essential to step up cooperation with our partners across North Africa, in particular withTunisia. And to those who have quoted that this MoU is not bringing results, let me give you two figures.
In the same vein, the socio-economic situation makes it ever more relevant for the European Union to heavily engage across the region.
The European Union will continue to stand by the Tunisian people and keep on supporting Tunisia to overcome this difficult period.
