Euro-Med Ministers decide on improving cooperation in the Information Society

Decisions that will further enhance cooperation between the EU and the Mediterranean Partner Countries were taken at the second Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on the Information Society, entitled “Building an Enabling Environment for the EUROMED Information Society”, held in Cairo (Egypt) in 27 February 2008.

During the meeting, organized by the Slovenian EU rotating Presidency and the European Commission and hosted by the Egyptian government, the ministers decided that a Work Programme with specific initiatives and projects will be prepared and a mapping exercise carried out. According to the Slovenian Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Ms Mojca Kucler Dolinar, the conference has given new impetus to the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue.
 
The ministers emphasised the contribution of the information society, research and innovation to business competitiveness, new job creation and tackling the challenges of globalization, the Presidency says in a press release. They also recognised the role of the public and private partnership in developing the ICT sector and highlighted the requirement for further liberalisation and the opening up of the electronic communications markets.

According to a Declaration agreed, the ministers encouraged the process of approximation of the regulatory frameworks of the Mediterranean Partners and the EU and highlighted the accomplishments of bilateral and regional projects aiming at regulatory reform of the electronic communications sector and at improved networking between the information technology and research communities. They stressed that forthcoming regional projects should aim at improving mutually beneficial ICT partnerships between Europe and the Mediterranean Partner Countries, building on the achievements of EUMEDIS and other regional initiatives, and on the issues discussed.
 
Special reference was made on two other relevant projects funded by the EU’s Regional Programme, EUMEDCONNECT and NATP-II.
 
In their Declaration, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Barcelona Process), and recalled the importance of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Action Plans “as important tools to reinforce and complement the Partnership”.