MED Info 14 (APRIL 2000)

1. MED Forum News.

The Campaigns are one of the main lines of MED Forum activities, according to the Programme of Activities approved by the Mediterranean Council in Málaga. To coordinate these campaigns, there is a need for a technician (full time Coordinator) in MED Forum´s headquarters.

After sending a call to recruit a technician (MED Forum Campaigns Coordinator), five candidates submitted their curriculum vitae. The Secretariat of MED Forum has decided to recruit Mr. Abbas Zahreddine, expert on environmental education and communication, being the most fitting candidate, and the person with proved experience in the development of campaigns through NGOs in Lebanon, its native country.

Mr. Abbas Zahreddine resigned from being member of the Executive Committee before signing its employment contract on the 1^st of April 2000.

Following the recommendation of the Mediterranean Council, non-Spanish native persons are employed by MED Forum, according to the economical possibilities that can be offered to the technicians working in the Network

Secretary General: Rafael Madueño

Projects Coordinator: Javier Cisneros

Campaigns Coordinator: Abbas Zahreddine

Tourism Campaign Responsible: Jordi Calabuig

Relationship with members Responsible: Mar Sivill

Communication Responsible: Xavier Segarra

Communication’s collaborator: Ariadna Guasch

Computer and Communication services: Emili Eced

Financial Responsible: Conxita Mensa

Office: Ana Mallart

Collaborators: Maria Antonia Grifols, Helena Ullastres, Daniel Barbé, Vanessa Hamilton

President: Zohir Sekkal

Secretary General: Rafael Madueño

Vice-President: Nadja Mifka Profozic

Members: Joseph Travé

Responsible for Biodiversity: Ali El Hili (Les Amis des Oiseaux)

Responsible for Water: Ayman Rabi (Palestinian Hydrology Group)

Responsible for Desertification: Bilha Givon (SPNI)

Responsible for Tourism: Maria Antonia Grifols (EcoMediterrania)

Responsible for MED Educa: Abbas Zahreddine (LINE)

• We enclose here the letter sent to the Comissiones for External Relations, Cristopher Patten about the "Commission's Lack of Performance" and the Press Release.

Cristopher Patten

Commissioner for External Relations

Rue de la Loi 200

1049 Brussels

Brussels, 12 April 2000

Dear Commissioner,

We are addressing you because we are deeply concerned about the lack of performance of the Commission with regard to the implementation of some essential decisions taken in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Working in the spirit of the Barcelona declaration the commission should be committed to work towards a sustainable and balanced economic and social development with a view to achieving the objectives of creating an area of shared prosperity. We believe, however, that the Commission bears a high responsibility for the apparent stand-still in implementing the requirement of integration of environmental considerations in all policies in the framework of the Partnership. We have the impression that the Commission and its services do not give sufficient priority to playing a leadership role in providing the basis for a sustainable development in this region that is of essential importance to Europe's future.

As you will certainly be aware, the Mediterranean region suffers from serious environmental problems, including problems in the management of vital natural resources, such as water, that are increasing day by day and that will increasingly complicate social, economic and security issues. At a general political level the Commission has clearly declared its readiness to play a leading role, which is laudable. However, converting this leadership into concrete achievements and continued progress by providing adequate follow up, has been sadly lacking. A continuation of this situation will put the credibility of the Commission at risk.

We represent a broad coalition of Environmental European and Mediterranean NGO Networks and International NGOs that have addressed the Commission and the EU-Mediterranean Governments in earlier occasions with a number of concrete proposals produced in the relevant Mediterranean NGO Conferences, in the framework of the MCSD and other relevant international fora. We also have played an active role in the creation, formulation and setting up of priorities of the Short and Medium Term Action Programme on the Environment (SMAP), adopted in Helsinki at a Ministerial Meeting of the EU-Mediterranean Partnership in November 1997. However, two-and-a-half years later, the first project still has to be approved. One year ago, at the Environmental Civil Forum in Stuttgart, Commission representatives mentioned that seven projects were selected for approval. Nowadays they are still not approved. We think this is unacceptable. The projects selected have a serious potential for showing concrete examples of how one can tackle the most serious environmental problems in the region (water, deterioration of coastal zones and of soil, waste management) by working together across national borders. A lot of work has been put in their preparation, and the momentum risks to get lost. Solving environmental problems needs the active involvement of the public, of voluntary organisations, and it needs cooperation between entities that are not so used to do so. You have created expectations with SMAP but the result is disappointment and growing criticism in the region about the attitude of the Commission.

In relation to this we want to call upon you to ensure that the Commission finally publishes the Call for Tender to invite more projects for SMAP. The objectives are there, the criteria are there, the money seems to be there. What is needed is a commitment from the Commission to get the process moving.

Finally, the Helsinki EU-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference included a number of concrete commitments to action. We have the impression that little or nothing has been done with this. We would like to have your commitment this will improve in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

• Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED)
• Environment and Development of the Third World (ENDA)
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
• Friends of the Earth MEDNET
• MED Forum, Mediterranean NGO Network
• Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development, MIO-ECSDE

Cc: - President Prodi

- Commissioner Wallström

(13/04/00) Official declarations and programmes had created expectations for an improvement of the situation in the Mediterranean region, but when it comes to implementation the results are disappointing. That is what a coalition of environmental NGOs (listed below) expressed in their letter to President Prodi and Commissioners Wallström and Patten. In their view, the Commission is to a large extent responsible for this lack of progress.

In the Barcelona Declaration (adopted in November 1995) environment has been recognised as one of the fields for increased co-operation and as an important dimension for the achievement of sustainable development in the Mediterranean region. In the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the Commission was entrusted with the co-ordination of a "Short and Medium-Term Priority Environmental Action Programme" (SMAP). In the forward to a publication on SMAP Commissioner Wallström says "I would like … to reaffirm my strong support for the SMAP and encourage all Partners to work towards its implementation, by preparing projects within the framework of the new Programme." Commission officials informed that from the submitted projects 7 had been selected for approval by Commission services. This was 1 year ago - the projects have still not been approved. Furthermore the NGO coalition criticises that a new Call for Tender - expected already for the end of 1999 - has not been published yet. This is another example that progress in the EU-Mediterranean Partnership within the framework of SMAP is being blocked right from the start. The NGOs argue that the objectives are there, the criteria are there, the money seems to be there - what is needed is a commitment from the Commission to get the process moving. The continuation of such a situation will frustrate the partners the Commission called upon to successfully implement the programme and put the credibility of the Commission at risk.

Members of NGO coalition:

- Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED)

- Environment and Development of the Third World (ENDA)

- European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

- Friends of the Earth MEDNET

- MED Forum, Mediterranean NGO Network

- Mediterranean Information Office, MIO-ECSDE

• Letter to Mr. Ferdinand Thurmes about the Euro Mediterranean Process

Ferdinand THURMES

Direction Générale Environnement

Directorate A: Affairs Générals et Internationaux

Monsieur,

Nous sommes très préoccupés par le déroulement du SMAP. Comme vous le savez, l’engagement de notre réseau MED Forum, dès le démarrage du processus Euro-Méditerranéen dans le domaine environnemental a été très fort. Comme réseau méditerranéen, notre cadre "naturel" d’activités se situe dans cette initiative si importante pour la région, qui lie l’Union Européenne avec 12 pays du bassin.

C’est pour cela que nous avons fixé comme un des objectifs de notre organisation d’élaborer un projet régional dans le cadre du SMAP. Ce n’est pas facile pour un réseau ayant nos caractéristiques d’élaborer un projet régional, mais l’année dernière nous avons réalisé des activités spécifiques entre nos membres —un atelier sur des projets de lutte contre la désertification en Israel— avec cette intention. Maintenant nous sommes en train de travailler sur un projet, Gestion participative et intégrée de l’eau dans des zones arides de la Méditerranée. Projet regional méditerranéen de lutte contre la désertification, à développer au Marroc, Algérie, Tunisie et Cisjordanie.

Mais nous avons constaté dans les derniers mois comme, que pas seulement le SMAP, mais tout le Processus Euro-Méditerranéen ont subi un ralentissement et une perte d’interêt de la part de la Commission et des Etats membres. Ce manque d’interêt s’a reflétée dans le continu ajournement de la réunion des correspondants et le manque de performance du programme.

Nos collègues basés à Bruxelles (BEE, WWF et FOE-ME) nous ont informé de la réunion que vous avez tenue le 15 mars 2000. Après de cette réunion nous avons decidé tous ensemble d’entreprendre des actions conjointes sur ce sujet.

Vers la moitié du mois d’avril nous serons à Bruxelles et il serait une bonne occasion, profitant de votre amabilité, pour parler de la situation. Nous permetterons de vous contacter pour fixer un rendez-vous.

Veuillez, Monsieur, de gréer mes sentiments les meilleurs

Rafael MADUEÑO

Secrétaire Général

MED Forum, Réseau d’ONG de la Méditerranée

Yesterday, European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy exchanged views about the EUs trade policies via the internet. You can find the transcripts of the internet chat on:http://europa.eu.int/comm/chat/lamy2/

The first ever Africa-Europe Summit was held in Cairo on 3rd-4^th April. It was agreed to define policies that maximise the benefits of further world trade liberalisation for African countries and reverse the present trend of marginalisation that African countries are experiencing in the world economy. A new round of multilateral trade negotiations should take account of the particular constraints of developing countries, including those in Africa, and allow for their smooth and gradual integration into the world economy. For the full text of the Cairo Declaration and Plan of Action, please see:

http://ue.eu.int/newsroom/main.cfm

On 31 March, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Panel found that the US Anti-dumping Act of 1916, which provides civil and criminal sanctions to remedy anti-dumping practices, is in violation of WTO rules. This act has been invoked several times against EU companies over the last few years and constitutes a powerful and dangerous tool to hinder competition from imports. For further details, please see:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/whats_new/us_ada.htm

European Commission, Trade DG, Information Unit

Email: eis@dg1.cec.be

WWW: http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade

Fax: +32-2-296-9854

To notify the European Commission of any changes to your contactdetails, please quote the following reference number: 4BJVUB955035428-29029-1548

The Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas is compiling the Directory of marine turtle specialists working in the Mediterranean. To be included in the Directory please fill in this form and send it to the RAC/SPA

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Signature…………………………………………….Date………………………………

By species:

By geographic area(s) and/ or site………………………………………….......................

by subject: Please fill fields by order of interest up to maximum of four (from 1 to 4)

Anatomy

Genetics

Physiology

Rehabilitation

Tagging

Legislation

Feeding

Reproduction

Stranding

Satellite tracking

Pathology

Toxicology

Morphology

Nesting site surveying

Other

Ecology

Population

Migration

Nesting site management

By-catch

Public awareness

• UNEP Press Release

A UNIFIED BIODIVERSITY APPROACH IN EUROPE

RIGA/GENEVA/NAIROBI, 23 March 2000 - From 20 to 23 March, 38 European Governments and 34 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations(NGOs) gathered in Riga, Latvia, for the Intergovernmental Conference on "Biodiversity in Europe". It was the first time at the Pan-European level that global, European and national biodiversity policies were discussed in a unifying approach by Governments, international organizations and NGOs.

The Riga Conference, which was initiated by the Governments of Latvia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, was organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and supported by numerous other countries and organizations.

Despite all efforts since the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity in late 1993, the overall pressure on biodiversity from human activities (intensive agriculture, forestry urbanization and infrastructure development, as well as pollution) has generally increased.

Many national and international initiatives have been launched but their implementation has been slow.

Emphasizing that agriculture and tourism have a strong influence on biodiversity, the Riga Conference called for clear indicators and incentives to help ensure its conservation and sustainable use. Open and transparent reporting systems and full participation of civil society in biodiversity- related decision making are essential. To that effect Governments were urged to speed up their ratification of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, adopted under the auspices of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE).

The Riga Conference emphasized the need for Eastern European countries to receive information and expertise support in delivering the European biodiversity objectives, and welcomed the Biodiversity Service, managed jointly by UNEP, IUCN-the World Conservation Union, the European Centre for Nature Conservation (ECNC) and the Regional Environment Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC).

"The Riga Conference has made a valuable contribution to the preparation of the Fifth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Nairobi, Kenya 15-26 May 2000) on the way to 'Rio + 10', and is a good starting point for a better and more effective biodiversity cooperation in Europe", said Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

For more information, please contact: Anders Renlund, UNEP Press Officer, Geneva, tel: +41-22-917-8272, e-mail: renlunda@unep.ch.

UNEP News Release 2000/35