CAIRO: As the European Union (EU) presidency shifts from Germany to Portugal the German Ambassador to Egypt, Bernd Erbel looks back at the recently-adopted EU reforms and other accomplishments achieved during the past three years.
Two days after the German presidency term ended on July 1, Erbel held a press conference at his residence to discuss these accomplishments while highlighting the upward trend in Egyptian-European relations.
The EU-Egypt relations have evolved from Association Agreements to Neighborhood Policy. The latter opens the door for more venues of cooperation.
On March 6, the two parties agreed on a joint action plan that covers several fields including investment and humanitarian and social development. The aim is to increase coordination in transport, energy and environmental protection on both sides of the Mediterranean.
The EU is a tool box for Egypt to help develop these areas, Erbel noted.
The EU has become Egypt primary trading partner and foreign direct investment continues to soar upwards. Despite the implementation of a new scholarship program for Egyptian students to be trained in Europe, Erbel sees the partnership between the EU and Egypt “not as a pupil-student relationship, but an equal partnership.
In the past three years 40 percent of Egypt’s trade has been with the EU. From 2005 to 2006 Egyptian exports to the EU increased by 50 percent, from $5 to $7.5 billion. While maintaining a deficit in the trade balance is a challenge, Egypt draws in enough revenue from tourism to compensate this.
The German presidency terms has also seen milestone achievements inside the EU.
On the top of the list is the newly adopted Reform Treaty that acts as a softer alternative to the earlier rejected EU constitution.
The European Council Summit, which took place from June 21 to 23, produced the new Reform Treaty, commonly referred to as the “functioning-of-the-union treaty. But this milestone falls short of expectations.
As the EU has expanded from 15 to 27 countries in the past three years, Erbel notes it is a shame the constitution was not established when there were less member countries.
One of the most hotly debated issues was a new voting procedure within the EU that follows a double majority system. Instead of every member nation having veto power, now a 55 percent majority is needed among member states and 65 percent majority among EU citizens is needed prior to implementing treaties and passing laws. Poland was against this proposal but finally agreed at the end of the summit.
In another incident, the British rejection of the proposal to appoint a single foreign affairs minister led to the establishment of a post for the “high representative for foreign policy .
Nonetheless, Erbel sees the ultimate agreement in the summit as of pinnacle importance to the continuity of successful inter-European relations.
“It would have been a catastrophe if we wouldn’t have agreed. Those who dream of a United States of Europe now see it, he said at the conference.
Away from politics, the past three years saw other achievements on the environmental and economic fronts.
The German presidency saw the implementation of the Euro currency in Slovenia. Plans were also set for Malt to adopt the currency early 2008.
The EU also committed to limiting global warming to two degrees and adopted plans to reduce noxious emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and to increase the use of renewable energies to 20 percent of overall consumption by 2020. Regarding the latter, Egypt has an identical goal, which it has set independently.
The EU has also looked beyond internal issues under the German presidency. Relations with the United States and the work or the quartet were revived. Regarding the crisis resolution in the Middle East, Erbel doesn’t praise results but focuses on the efforts.
