The EuroMediterranean

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• The Euro-Mediterranean
• Human Rights Network
• Supported by the European Commission

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Presentation Outline

• PART I
• The EU Institutions How Can NGOs Act with the EU
  institutions ?
• PART II
• Human Rights Mechanisms in EU-South Mediterranean
  Countries Relations, especially with Israel

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• The EU Institutions
• How to Act on the EU Human Rights Mechanisms?

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The EU System

• 1st Pillar
• European Community (EC)
• Decision at Majority of Member states
• Economic matters
• Internal Market
• Other policies, incl. migration, asylum,
  development cooperation, trade and customs

• 2nd Pillar
• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)
• Unanimity of MS
• Political and security dimension

• 3rd Pillar
• Police and Judicial
• Cooperation in
• Criminal Matters
• Unanimity of MS
• Terrorism
• Trafficking in human beings

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General EU Commitments on HR EU Treaties

• The EU is founded on the principles of liberty,
• democracy, respect for HR and fundamental
  freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which
  are common to the Member States (Art.6 EUT)
• HR as an objective of
• CFSP
• to develop and consolidate democracy and the
  rule of law, and respect for HR and fundamental
  freedom (11.1 EUT)
• Development cooperation and economic, financial
  and technical cooperation with third countries
• to contribute to the general objective of
  developing and consolidating democracy and the
  rule of law, and to that of respecting HR and
  fundamental freedoms (181a and 177.2 ECT)

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General EU Commitments on HR

• 1995, EU Commissions Communication, The
  inclusion of respect for democracy principles and
  HR in agreements between Community and Third
  Countries
• HR Clause in all bilateral agreements
• 1996, EU Commissions Communication,
  Incorporating equal opportunities for women and
  men into all Community policies and activities
• Gender mainstreaming principle
• 2000, EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
• Guide EU Commissions actions within its external
  relations
• 2001, EU Commissions Communication, The EU Role
  in promoting HR and democratisation in third
  countries
• HR mainstreaming
• EU HR Guidelines on
• HR defenders, Death Penalty, Torture,
• HR dialogues with third countries, Children in
  armed conflict
• Promoting compliance with International
  Humanitarian Law

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EU Institutions

• European Council
• Council of the European Union
• European Commission
• European Parliament
• Court of Justice of the European Communities

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European Council

• Composition
• 27 Heads of States and Governments
• Competences
• Sets the general political orientations of EU
  policies

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Council of the European UnionComposition

• Ministers of the 27 Member States
• Eg General affairs Council
• External relations Council
• (Ministers of Foreign Affairs)
• Presidency
• Germany Jan/june 2007
• Portugal July/dec 2007
• Slovenia Jan/june 2008
• France July/dec 2008
• Troïka (current and future Presidencies and
  Commission)

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Council of the European UnionCompetences

• Legislative body
• Decision making body regarding EU foreign
  policies
• Conclusion of international agreements
• Adoption of ENP Action Plans
• Instruments
• - Regulations, directives, decisions, common
  actions, common positions, recommendations,
  opinions, conclusions, declarations, resolutions,
  demarches
• - EU HR Guidelines on
• HR defenders, Death Penalty, Torture,
• HR dialogues with third countries, Children in
  armed conflict
• Promoting compliance with International
  Humanitarian Law

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Council of the European Union Assisted by

• General Secretariat of the Council
• COREPER
• Working Groups

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Council of the European UnionCOREPER and Working
Groups

• Representatives of the Member States to prepare
  the work of Ministers
• in Permanent Representations of the MS in
  Brussels
• In MS Foreign Affairs Ministries
• in MS Embassies in third countries
• Divided into Working Groups
• e.g.
• COHOM for HR
• Maghreb-Mashrek Group
• Gulf and Middle East Group
• COMAG

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Council of the European Union General
Secretariat of the Council

• Secretary General/High representative for the
  CFSP Mr. Solana
• With a Personal Representative for HR Ms. Riina
  Kionka
• Council Secretariat Staff
• e.g.
• Middle East, Mediterranean Unit
• Human rights Unit

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European Commission Composition

• President Mr. Barroso
• 25 Commissioners
• Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner, External relations and ENP
• 24 Directorates General
• e.g. DG External Relations (Relex)
• DG for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO)
• EuropAid
• EC Delegations in third countries

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European Commission Competences

• Proposes EU legislation and policies
• Executive body
• Proposes EU Budget
• Negotiates agreements with third countries (AA)
• Negotiates and monitors implementation of APs
• Prepares and follow up meetings of EMP
• Develops country strategies, NIPs and RIPs
• Manages EU assistance to third countries

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European Commission DG Relex

• Political Direction on EU Foreign Affairs
• Programming of Aid in
• Country Strategy Papers and National Indicative
  Programmes (NIP)
• Regional Strategy Papers and Regional Indicative
  Programmes (RIP)
• Programming of EIDHR
• Strategy Paper 2007-2010
• Initiates Commissions Communications and
  policies on foreign affairs and HR

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European Commission
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European Commission EuropeAid

• Manages EU Assistance to third countries
• Manages former MEDA, EIDHR and ENPI Programmes
• Annual financing plan based on NIPs/RIPs and
  EIDHR programming
• Identification till evaluation of the projects
•  

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European Commission
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European Commission Delegations

• Increased role of the Delegations since the
  de-concentration reform in 2000
• Responsibilities of the Delegations
• Represent EU Commission in third countries
• Increased role on the ground in countries and in
  EU Commission policy making
• Manage budget lines for MEDA and ENPI HR and
  civil society projects and EIDHR micro-projects
• Report on political developments and HR

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European ParliamentComposition

• 732 Members (MEPs) gathered in 7 political groups
• Parliamentary Committees
• e.g. Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Sub Committee on HR
• Inter-parliamentary delegations
• e.g. Maghreb, Mahsrek, Israel,
• Palestinian Legislative Council, Turkey
• EP delegation to EMPA

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European Parliament Competences

• Co-legislative body on Community issues
• eg customs and development issues
• Only advisory role in Foreign affairs issues
• Except
• Co-budgetary authority
• Assent for agreements with third countries
• Instruments
• Reports, resolutions, hearings, oral and written
  questions, missions (elections)

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EU Funding for HRand Democracy Projects

• Till End 2006 
• MEDA
• EIDHR
• Start 2007
• European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument
  (ENPI)
• European Instrument for Democracy and HR
• HR and Governance facility

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MEDA

• EMP Financial Instrument
• MEDA Regulation adopted by the EU in 1996
• Apply to states, local and regional authorities
  and civil society with government consent
• Includes a HR Clause
• Budget Meda II 2000-2006 5.35 Billions Euros
• Ends in 2006
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•  
•  

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European Neighbourhood and Partnership
Instrument

• Instrument for the ENP implementation (replaces
  MEDA)
• Regulation adopted on 17 October 2006
• No HR clause only build on commitments to
  common values and scope possibly includes HR
• Objectives
• Supporting the implementation of the ENP Action
  plans
• Cross-border cooperation and intra-regional
  cooperation
• Technical assistance for institutional capacity
  building
• With host government consent
• Budget 11,181 billion for 2007/2013

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ENPI Programming

• Managed by the EU Commission
• Priorities identifies with the Countries in
• Country Strategy Papers (CSPs)/Regional Strategy
  Paper (RSP) 2007/2013
• Define the main goals, guidelines and priority
  sectors
• for 7 years
• National Indicative Programmes (NIPs)/ Regional
  Indicative Programm (RIP), 2007-2010
• for 3 years
• Annual Programmes

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European Initiative for Democracy and Human
Rights

• Specific instrument to support HR and democracy
  Worldwide
• EU Regulation in 1999
• Beneficiaries NGOs and international
  organisations
• Without host government consent
• Priorities 2005-2006 through 4 Thematic
  Campaigns
• Promoting justice and the rule of law
• Fostering a culture of HR
• Promoting the democratic process
• Advancing equality, tolerance and peace
• Budget 100/130 million Euros/ Year
• Ends in 2006
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European Instrument for Democracy and HR

• New legal basis for HR Projects 2007-2013 (build
  on the EIDHR)
• Regulation adopted on 19 Decembre 2006
• Now Possibility to fund non-recognized NGOs
• Draft Programming Document 2007-10 and then
  2011-13
• Annual Work Programme to be adopted for each year
• Budget 2007-13 1,1billion euros

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European Instrument Democracy and
HR Programming/Objectives

• DRAFT
• Objective 1
• To develop the political space within which civil
  society may develop,where basic freedoms are most
  at risk
• Objective 2
• Stenghtening the role of civil society in
  promoting HR and democracy reform, in supporting
  conflict prevention and in developping political
  participation and representation in those
  countries where there is sufficient freedom and
  room for manuvre
• Objective 3
• Supporting actions on human rights and democracy
  issues in areas covered by EU Guidelines,
  including on HR dialogues, on HR defenders, on
  the death penalty, on torture, and on children
  and armed conflict
• Other Objectives
• Supporting international organisations
• Election monitoring

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Project Cycle Management