Industrial co-operation: Euro-Mediterranean meeting

The Union for the Mediterranean has held its ninth ministerial meeting on Euro-Mediterranean industrial co-operation, with the aim of enhancing support for SMEs and well as further developing its ultimate ambition to create a Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani represented the EU and co-chaired the meeting with Jordan’s Minister for Industry and Trade, Hatem Hafez Al-Halawani Al-Tamimi.

More than 30 Euro-Mediterranean countries and partners were represented. In addition, national and international business associations as well as international organisations contributed to the debate. The findings of an assessment of the business climate in the Mediterranean neighbour countries was presented and a declaration to continue to develop EU-Med business was endorsed by the ministers.

The 2013 assessment of the Mediterranean business climate found that while there has been progress in SME policy elaboration and implementation it has been modest, incremental and uneven across economies and dimensions.

As a result of the political transition processes in some countries, private sector organisations have become more active. New associations have been established, some of them representing the voices of new entrepreneurs, and old and established relations between the political and the business elites have been carefully scrutinised. Across the region, public private dialogue is more open and constructive and has generally contributed to improving the quality of the public policy towards small business.

The challenge for the Mediterranean economies, particularly those going through political transition, is to develop and implement structural policies in challenging times where short term solutions are needed. The assessment’s findings will be endorsed at the ministerial meeting and will guide future reforms.