Tunisian capital hosts 4th Euro-Mediterranean industrial summit

The 4th Euro-Mediterranean industrial summit will be held in Tunis this May 11-12, the Tunisian employers association (UTICA) announced this Tuesday.

The encounter, to be attended by enterprise federations from the European Union's 14 member states and 12 south Mediterranean countries, will see the launching of the South Mediterranean employers organization project.

The European Commission has allocated a budget of 3.7 million euros over three years to the project.

The summit's recommendations will be submitted to the meeting of industry ministers from 27 European and Mediterranean countries to be held in Cyprus June 21 through 23.

Debates will focus on the impact of the projected Euro-Mediterranean free trade zone on investments, the private sector's needs in the perspective of the free-trade area, South-South free trade and financing small and medium-sized enterprises in south Mediterranean countries.

The three previous editions of the summit were held in 1996 (Malta), Marrakesh (1996) and Athena (1997).