The Future of Euro-Mediterranean Trade Cooperation: Deep and Comprehensive or Hub and Spokes?

Veranstaltungsart
Conference

Ort / Datum
Berlin, 03.07.2018

German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

Trade cooperation has long been a key mechanism for Europe to support prosperity and good governance in countries to the south of the Mediterranean. The key objective of the Euro-Mediterranean trade partnership is the creation of a deep Free Trade Area, which aims at removing barriers to trade and investment between the EU and Southern Mediterranean countries and between the Southern Mediterranean countries themselves. Progress towards this goal has, nevertheless, not met the high expectations of the EU and its Mediterranean partners. Negotiations have stumbled over disagreements regarding further liberalisation of trade in agriculture and services, acceptance of industrial products and regulatory convergence. There have been protests in several countries against potential negative impacts of free trade. Fears about diminished state capacity for economic regulation have further fueled suspicion. Cooperation in the Mediterranean region has never been as pressing – and it has never been so challenging.  With a new German government looking to provide fresh impetus to the EU’s engagement with its neighbourhood, now is a good time to take stock of past errors and to explore the potential that is still to be unlocked. 

The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) is bringing together the following policymakers and researchers to discuss these issues:

Welcome

• Patrick Lobis, Head of the Political Section, Representation of the European Commission in Germany

    
Panel

• Günter Nooke, German Chancellor's Personal Representative for Africa, Commissioner for Africa, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Bonn/ Berlin
• Salam Said, Scientific Advisor and Editor, Regional Project For Socially Just Development in the Arab Region, Friedrich Ebert Foundation Tunisia/Berlin
• Ibrahim Saif, Associate Fellow, Middle East Institute, Washington DC / Former Minister of Planning and of Energy, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
• Amirah El-Haddad, Senior Researcher, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Bonn
• Timo Hammaren, Deputy Head of Unit E3, South Mediterranean and the Middle East, DG Trade, European Commission, Brussels

Hinweis

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