The European plan for foreign investment in Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East in the context of the Migration Agenda
19/09/2016
The European plan for foreign investments was outlined in the Communication of the European Commission of 7 June 2016 “Establishing a new partnership framework with third countries in the context of the European Agenda on Migration”. The Council of Heads of State and Government of 28 June requested that an “ambitious proposal” relating to this plan be presented by September.
On 14 September, the Commission released two Communications on the matter. The first defines the proposal for “a new Foreign Investment Plan” indicating its structure and related instruments. The second proposes a text of Regulation for the European Fund for sustainable development and the establishment of the related public guarantee and the Guarantee Fund. On the same day, in the report to the European Parliament on the state of the Union, President Juncker presented the programming of this Plan aimed at Africa and the Mediterranean/Middle East.
The EC has kept the commitment entrusted to it, in coordination with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policies. The disappointment instead comes from the European Council. The “Bratislava Roadmap”, signed by the EU presidents and prime ministers on 16 September in Bratislava postpones any examination of the plan to the next Council in December. A bad sign.
The two EC Communications will however continue their process and will be evaluated and perfected by European institutions attentive to Community policies (unlike the current Council and the Member States held back by the many opposing national interests): the European Parliament (EP), the Economic Committee and Social Committee (EESC), the Committee of the Regions (CoR), the European Investment Bank (EIB).
LINK 2007 propone un’attenta analisi delle proposte europee in un documento di “osservazioni e proposte” diffuso il 19 settembre 2016.