Joint Proposal for a Council Decision on the Union position with regard to the adoption of a recommendation on the implementation of the EU-Tunisia Action Plan

Tunisia and the European Union are bound by a Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement that came into force in March 1998. On the basis of that Agreement, an EU‑Tunisia Action Plan under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was approved by the two parties in May 2005 for a period of five years. Within this framework EU‑Tunisia relations have developed and matured substantially. The presentation in March 2010 of a Tunisian proposal to attain an advanced status gave a further impetus to these relations and marked a significant deepening of relations in the areas of political relations, security, economics, trade and various sectors, and in people-to-people contacts. When the current ENP Action Plan expired in 2010, it was deemed appropriate to negotiate and conclude a new Action Plan based on the objectives and ambitions of the joint document on privileged partnership.

The 2011 Joint Communication A new response to a changing neighbourhood outlined a new approach which aims at a higher level of differentiation, allowing each partner to develop its links with the EU based on its own aspirations, needs and capacities, but also on mutual accountability and the degree of commitment to the universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and the capacity to implement jointly agreed priorities. This new Action Plan clearly sets out the priority objectives of EU-Tunisia relations, while taking full account of the privileged partnership and the comprehensive scope of EU‑Tunisia relations.

The European External Action Service (EEAS), in close cooperation with the European Commission and the EU Member States, has held exploratory talks with Tunisia which have resulted in an agreement on a draft Action Plan, including the list of priority measures to be carried out under the Plan. At the last EU-Tunisia Association Council meeting on 14 April 2014 both sides noted that they had reached an agreement. The finalisation of technical consultations on each side was notified through an exchange of letters.

The new EU-Tunisia Action Plan sets out specific measures for the fulfilment of the parties’ obligations under the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. It also provides a broader framework for further strengthening EU-Tunisia relations to achieve a significant measure of economic integration and a deepening of political cooperation, in accordance with the overall objectives of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. Pursuant to the European Neighbourhood Instrument Regulation, the Action Plan is a key point of reference for setting the priorities of the Union under the ENP. The ENP, as a single policy framework, will continue to act as a catalyst, based in particular on partnership and joint ownership, as well as performance‑driven differentiation and tailor‑made assistance.

EUR-Lex: JOIN(2014)036: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=JOIN:2014:036:FIN

---