Competition in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership
Regional-European Union, Politics, 2/27/2006

The regional seminar on " competition in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was held on February 20 through 23 in Berlin, Germany. The event was held as part of MEDA programme of the European Commission Europe Aid Cooperation Office.

It was held in the framework of the Third phase of the EuroMed Market program. Taking into accounts the aims of the two previous phases ( information, training and networking ), the activities of the third phase aim to consolidate the knowledge acquired and the networks created during those phases, the ultimate objective being the creation of a free trade area by 2010.

In a statement to ArabicNews.com Eduard Sanchez Monjo, supervisor, Euromed Market program management unit; director, European Institute of public administration European center for the regions said that this program is for regional scope which means it addressed the 10th Mediterranean countries, including among others, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian authority and Turkey. He said that the main aim of this program is to help the Mediterranean countries to reach a free trade area in the Mediterranean between MEDA countries and the EU by 2010.

He explained that this program is a four- year program and that during this year many activities were organized on training, exchanging experiences and best practices and study visits were organized for MEDA experts to EU member states, adding that mixed expert missions were organized from the EU and MEDA countries.

He added that in this program "we have discussed" the following topics: compilation policy, free movement of goods, customs, taxation and rules of origin, intellectual property rights, public procurement, personal data potentials and e-commerce, financial services and so on.

He added that this seminar was the last one in the area of competition in the EU-Med. Partnership.

Reviewing earlier activities, Monjo said that a seminar was organized in Damascus in 2005 in the field of competition for Syria, Lebanon and Algeria, adding that as this program ends this year in may "we foresee to organize one seminar in Damascus in the field of "rules of origin" in April for Syria, Turkey and Lebanon.

He added that it is important to stress that beside technical presentation of the EU in international experts in the field of competition, all delegations explain the experiences in each country in a very practical way, defining the framework of their affairs in their country and steps taken in this area.

In a similar statement to Arabic News, representative of the federation of the Syrian chambers of commerce to the conference, Marwan Fawaz, said that the topic covered by the seminar has been dealt with extensively during the 1st and 2nd phases.

He said that the seminar aimed at identifying the developments and reforms that have been taking place in the Euro-Mediterranean area since the beginning of the Euro-Med Market program. He added it was a venue to share the various national experiences, to analyze the difficulties that have emerged along the way and the solutions that have been found, noting that all this with a view to learning from each of them about the nature of those difficulties and problems. Fawaz said most impressive practices were learned from experiences conducted in Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt.

Outlining the Syrian paper to the conference, Fawaz highlighted EU-Syria relations. He said that since 1978 Syria has been embarking on establishing good relations with the EU under the scope of the Association Agreement.

He noted Syria's support of the set programs to carry out economic and legal reforms envisaged during the recent years.

He indicated that several steps and regulations were set up during this period to create suitable environment for the competition in the Syrian market and by the opening and deliberating the market and giving all possible support to the private sector.

Giving a limelight to the paper, Fawaz noted Syria's underway action plan within the scope of the preparations held to join the free trade region which will be established by the fall of 2010.

Concerning the underway Competition and anti competitive practices law,Fawaz said that a special committee was formed to draw the said law with conformity to the EU-Syria Association Agreement (AA) requirements. He explained this law which is to be ratified very soon by the Syrian authorities concerned is modeled to meet the national needs of the social market system goals.

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