Egypt opens new horizons for a stronger partnership with the Enlarged European Union. Doaa El-Bey reviews the prospects The initiation of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) action plan, which will be implemented over the next five years promises to give momentum to long-standing ties between Egypt and the European Union. The EU-Egypt ENP action plan was initiated during the EU-Egypt Association Council meeting held in Brussels, Tuesday. The action plan which extends from 2007-2013 supports the Egyptian economic reform process in a wide range of sectors. The latter, which have been jointly-agreed upon between Egypt and the EU comprise the sectors of trade, customs, agriculture, transport, energy, science. The action plan aims at reinforcing the capabilities needed to efficiently manage human and natural resources. This will entail reform in the education and health sectors. Another venue underscored in the ENP action plan as being a priority, is that of reform in the direction of human rights and democracy. "Supporting Egypt's political reform, and its economy, as well as helping [it in its modernisation efforts] are key features of this new aid package," said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy during her visit to Egypt last week. Ferrero-Waldner met President Hosni Mubarak and top Egyptian officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Abul-Gheit. She presented the assistance package proposed by the commission for Egypt, over the next four years (2007-2010). The package which Ferrero- Waldner described as "well-defined and well- prioritised plan to work together", included 558 million euros, of which the sum of 58 million euros is in interest rate subsidies. The package is expected to attract an estimated amount of 250- 300 million euros in loans. With this, the ENP replaces the former aid instrument, MEDA. MEDA aid to Egypt amounted to 1.1 billion euros from 1996 to 2006. Egypt remains one of the main beneficiaries of EU support in the region, at a time when the EU is the second largest donor to Egypt. The ENP offers economic and social benefits to the countries bordering the EU, by means of cooperation arrangements in a wide range of areas. The action plans are tailored to reflect the EU's relationship with each country, in addition to its specific situation, its needs and capabilities. The ENP was developed in 2004, with the objective of avoiding the emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and its neighbours to the east, as well as those on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean. At the beginning of its negotiation process with each state, the EU prepared a report assessing the political and economic situation, as well as institutional and sectoral aspects, to assess when and how it is possible to allow the state to join the ENP. It issued its report about Egypt in March 2005. The EU and Egypt subsequently jointly defined an agenda of political and economic reforms, by means of short- and medium-term (3-5 years) priorities. The EU then agreed to initiate an action plan in Egypt at the end of last year. It based its negotiations with Egypt on the traditional Association Agreement signed in 1994. The EU has engaged in a network of bilateral agreements with the countries covered by the ENP; these are the partnership and cooperation agreements with the neighbours to the East, and the association agreements with the neighbours to the south of the Mediterranean. Egyptian-European trade relations were not strengthened until the 1967 defeat that revealed, to the Arab countries, the real threat that Israel posed, and, at the same time, prompted Europe to take on a more positive role in the Middle East. The advent of Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat in the early 1970s saw, along with it, an initiation of Egyptian-European cooperation. Egypt signed a cooperation agreement with Europe in 1977. Another six Mediterranean states, including Israel, signed similar agreements by virtue of which Europe would provide aid for the Mediterranean states with the aim of improving their economies. Another major development in Euro-Med relations occurred in 1994, when Egypt and other Mediterranean countries including Cyprus and Malta signed separate partnership agreements with the EU. These followed three "tracks", the first of which was the establishment of just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The second track delineated the initiation of a "dialogue" between different civilisations, cultures and religions. The third was the economic cooperation track. According to Gamal Bayoumi, who had for many years been chief negotiator, on the Egyptian side, of the Egypt-EU Partnership, the economic track was, in reality, the only successful track amongst the three. Bayoumi asserts that Europe has always been a soft power or "a political dwarf" that never managed to impose its political will on any partner state. However "as an economic giant", it tried to establish economic partnerships with many Mediterranean states. The initiatives between the 27 EU states and 10 Mediterranean states can be seen within this context. Starting with bilateral north-south agreements, such as the Association Agreement signed with Egypt, these initiatives aimed at improving south-south relations, by convening agreements such as the Aghadeer agreement, and convening meetings between the southern Mediterranean states. "Here comes the ENP which gives the joining states a status that is less than the membership, but more than the association partnership," Bayoumi said. Twinning is another "very valuable" tool that the ENP uses to improve the conditions of participating states. Officials from an EU member state are dispatched to their twin partner in a partner country. Twinning has begun, after several years of preparation, in some Mediterranean countries, including Egypt. The Egyptian Association for Activating Tourism has already signed a twinning partnership with its Austrian counterpart. Post France has also signed another partnership with the Egyptian Post Organisation. "We are still looking for a suitable partner for the Investment Organisation," Bayoumi said. For all the promise they hold, such initiatives remain a starting point for long-term cooperation between the EU and its ENP partners, including Egypt. The different parties engaged in the process hope it can, ultimately, have a positive impact on the political as well as economic levels.
