Europe and its neighbours

International conference of the European Movement (Malta)

The European Movement (Malta) is organising a conference with the theme: "Europe and its neighbours". The one-day conference is being held on Friday, November 7, at the Aula Magna, Foundation for International Studies, Old University Building, St Paul Street, Valletta.

The conference is being inaugurated by Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami. Foreign Minister Joe Borg, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg, the Malta Labour Party spokesman on Europe, Evarist Bartolo, and Alternattiva Demokratika vice-chairman Mario Mallia will address the conference.

The European Movement (Malta) has invited overseas guest speakers, chosen for their expertise, to lead the discussion. The main aim of the conference is to raise awareness on the EU's need to continue to strengthen its relations with its neighbours.

Malta's Young European Federalists (JEF) and AEGEE Valletta are also helping the European Movement (Malta) in the organisation of this conference. These two organisations have recently begun to co-operate closely with the European Movement (Malta) and their representatives participate in its executive committee.

The conference focuses on some of the implications of "Wider Europe - New Neighbourhood". As the borders of Europe widen as a result of enlargement, there is a growing need for the EU to better define the way in which it wants to relate to its neighbours.

Malta's stake

Located at the southernmost periphery of the European Union's stability zone, Malta has a deep interest in the strengthening of stability in the Mediterranean region and in the way in which the EU develops its relations with its Mediterranean partners.

The illegal immigration problem, which is on everyone's lips in Europe, is one that has begun to affect us strongly. Dealing with illegal immigration does not simply involve patrolling the seas better.

It requires an attack on the root cause of the problem: the poverty and political persecution of minorities and those who disagree with their rulers. It involves a bigger insistence on the part of the EU on good governance and the satisfaction of basic human needs.

If these policies are not pursued successfully the illegal immigrants and much more that accompanies this illicit trade will not be stopped by 'marauding' gunboats of the southern European states.

The aim of the conference being organised by the European Movement (Malta) is to increase public awareness on the EU's foreign policies. The Union tries to encourage international stability by encouraging states to establish links of mutual economic and political benefit.

Hence the policies which the EU is planning to launch towards its neighbours have a direct relevance to Malta.

Europe's neighbours

Last June, the European Council agreed that EU enlargement presents the Union with the unique opportunity to work closer with its neighbours. Geographic proximity generates converging interests and increases the importance of working together to address common challenges.

In view of this the EU wishes to define an ambitious new range of policies towards its neighbours based on shared values such as liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.

The Council also welcomed the publication by the European Commission last March of the Communication: "Wider Europe - Neighbourhood: A New Framework for Relations with our Eastern and Southern Neighbours."

The European Movement (Malta) wishes to highlight the importance of this debate not only for the EU itself but also in the context of the discussion as to where Malta wishes to strategically place itself.

The European Movement (Malta) invites all those interested in participating in this conference to write to it for further details or to visit its Website at http://www.euro-movement.org.mt where further information on the conference will also be posted from time to time.

What the conference will discuss

The main focus of the discussion will be on Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Cypriot, Maltese and Turkish perspectives are presented. These are important given that both Cyprus and Malta will join the EU next year while Turkey is a prospective member.

But other themes will also be discussed in the conference. These are what are called horizontal issues dealing with security, including illegal immigration as well as the economic impact of EU enlargement on the Mediterranean region and the Balkans.

The speakers

Apart from the distinguished Maltese personalities, the following overseas speakers will be taking part: Dr Stelios Stavridis, visiting professor, Mediterranean chair, University of Valencia; Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb, president, European Movement (Belgium) and chairman of the Mediterranean Commission of the European Movement International; Professor Fulvio Attina, University of Catania; Dr Charalambos Tsardanidis, Institute of International Economic Relations, Athens; Dr Neville Waites, University of Reading; Professor Andreas Theophanous, Intercollege, Cyprus; Dr Aylin Guney, Bilkent University, Ankara; and Dr Aristotle Tziampiris.

These speakers have been invited by the Movement to speak from their expertise on the subjects under discussion and to interact with those who attend.

Wider Europe - new neighbourhood

The European Council meeting in Brussels on October 16 and 17 has made this declaration:

"The European Council welcomes progress made on the Commission's Wider Europe - New Neighbourhood initiative. It urges the Council and the Commission to take forward work in implementing this initiative with a view to ensuring a comprehensive, balanced and proportionate approach, including a financial instrument, responding to the needs to promote cross-border and regional/transnational co-operation on the external borders of the enlarged Union."

...on the Mediterranean

"The European Council reiterates the crucial importance of the Mediterranean region and its determination to develop the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. In this connection it stresses the need to actively support the economic development of the region through concrete initiatives to be adopted and to enhance political dialogue and co-operation in the cultural field. It looks forward to the positive outcome of the forthcoming ministerial meeting in Naples of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership." (this will be the sixth meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and will be held in Naples between December 2 and 3).

Managing the EU's common borders

The 25 EU leaders - those of the current 15 members and of the 10 accession countries, met in Brussels on October 16 and 17. Among the issues discussed was the one concerning the management of the EU's common borders.

When Malta joins the EU next year, Maltese citizens will become European Union citizens with the right to travel freely across the former barriers that kept states separated from one another.

But this removal of internal barriers and borders makes it more important for Europe to guard its borders to prevent undesirable elements from entering the Union to roam freely from one member state to the other.

And this does not only mean keeping illegal immigrants out. It also means (and as much as this is possible) keeping out organised crime, illicit drug and arms trafficking and similar other dark practices and 'imports'.

Guarding the EU's borders has become crucial towards safeguarding the safety of all of the Union's citizens. Last June the European Council voted €140 million to be spent between 2004 and 2006 to strengthen the management of the external borders, the implementation of the return action programme and the development of the Visa Information System (VIS).

On immigration, the EU aims to achieve balanced results: to encourage legal immigration and to stop the illegal one and human trafficking. The EU wants to press on with efforts to convince countries from where illegal immigrants come to readmit them when they are sent back.

The EU is working towards the introduction of biometric identifiers in visas, residence permits and passports. Although the admission of immigrants remains firmly in the hands of the individual EU member states, the Union wants more co-ordination among them as migrants, once admitted, can move to the other member states.

The EU is also working on new criteria on who qualifies for asylum and the procedure that must be adopted to regulate this category of immigrants.