'No Euro-Mediterranean community without peace'

An excerpt of ÁLVARO DE VASCONCELOS’ Introduction on the 10 Papers for Barcelona - n°1, September 2009 by Muriel Asseburg, Paul Salem

«This first paper looks at the prospects for Euro-Mediterranean initiatives against the current troubled backdrop of the Middle East, and in particular the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is clear that the long-term objective of creating a Euro-Mediterranean Community will not be fulfilled without a lasting peace being established in the region. The authors put forward a set of proposals on how Europe should contribute to resolving the Middle East crisis – and in particular on how to take advantage of the window of opportunity afforded by the change in American policy that has followed the election of President Obama.»

Source: Institute for Security Studies of the European Union - EUISS - @ http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/10Papers-01.pdf

«Besides warning that the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership launched in 1995 in Barcelona was ‘not intended to replace the other activities and initiatives undertaken in the interests of the peace, stability and development of the region’, its founding members also pledged, at least rhetorically, their support for ‘a just, comprehensive and lasting peace settlement in the Middle East.’ Almost fifteen years went by, and as chances for peace steadily receded, the Partnership was, as some would put it, ‘upgraded’ to a Union. But, in spite of the huge diplomatic effort that went into it, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) was gripped by deadlock just as it was set to take off, derailed by the events in Gaza in December 2008-January 2009.

It would indeed have been foolish to expect that the Euro-Mediterranean intergovernmental framework, originally predicated on the assumption that the lasting peace all its members vowed to support was within sight, and which thus included all the main actors in Middle East conflicts alongside EU members and hopefuls, could meaningfully add to ongoing bilateral and multilateral efforts to achieve that peace. The reverse assumption – that inter-state cooperation could make up for the absence of peace and thrive in spite of outright war – proved however equally futile.

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Today it is plain for everyone to see, however, that meaningful progress in the Euro-Mediterranean multilateral framework depends on unquestionable progress on the peace front, to which the EU must be a fully committed party.

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Clearly, the long-term objective of creating a Euro-Mediterranean Community will not be fulfilled without peace being established in the Middle East.

The situation in the Middle East has already changed in that, after long years of neglect by the US administration, Obama’s speech in Cairo in early June made it plain that it is now a priority for the US government to put an end to the Israeli-Arab conflict and to resolve the Palestinian question. This has been a priority for the European Union and the Arab states all along – and above all it should be one for Israel.

The Euro-Mediterranean inter-governmental dialogue, whether branded a ‘partnership’ or a ‘union’, is a means to an end. But it is not the only means at the disposal of Europeans and their neighbours towards the same end.

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There is no reason why the EU should sit back and wait; it is time for policy-shaping initiatives to move forward. Notably, there is scope today for a Euro-Arab peace-support initiative.

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From Muriel Asseburg and Paul Salem’s thoughtful chapters it is possible to draw a number of policy recommendations with regard to resolving conflict in the Middle East, and Europe’s role to that end. These may be outlined as follows.

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Bear in mind that the clock is ticking. If Israeli-Palestinian peace is to be achieved on the basis of a two-state solution, as is nearly universally accepted, then time is of the essence. Either this solution is implemented now or further procrastination may cause the present window of opportunity to vanish entirely. To grasp the opportunity opened by renewed US commitment, it is crucial that both Israel and Hamas cease to undermine the peace efforts.

Other actors in the region and further afield equally need to demonstrate their commitment to peace with an added sense of urgency. Iran, for one, would be well-advised to respond positively to engagement – the sooner the better. »
Source: Institute for Security Studies of the European Union - EUISS - @ http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/10Papers-01.pdf