I move:
45. That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their member states, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, which has been laid before the Dáil on 31 May 1996."
46. That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, which has been laid before the Dáil on 31 May 1996."
47. That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their member states, acting within the framework of the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Slovenia, of the other part, which has been laid before the Dáil on 12 February 1997."
48. That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement between the European Communities and their member states, of the one part, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part, which has been laid before the Dáil on 12 February 1997."
Dáil approval of the terms of these agreements is necessary in accordance with Article 29.5.2 of the Constitution which stipulates that "The State shall not be bound by any international agreement involving a charge upon public funds unless the terms of the agreement shall have been approved by Dáil Éireann."
An explanatory memorandum setting out the terms of the agreements has been provided for the information of Deputies through the Whips' offices. Copies of the agreements have been laid before the Dáil on 31 May 1996 in the case of Israel and Morocco, and on 12 February 1997 in the case of Slovenia and Uzbekistan.
In the White Paper on Foreign Policy which I brought before the Dáil in March last year, the Government identified a number of major challenges facing the European Union as it moves towards the 21st century. Among these is the challenge to the Union of equipping itself to play a role commensurate with its responsibilities on the European continent and in the wider family of nations, in pursuit of its essential interests and in the furtherance of its most fundamental values. Many of the issues associated with equipping the Union to play this role are under discussion among member states at the current Intergovernmental conference; the agreements before the Dáil today are a practical expression of the Union's willingness to assume such a role.
The agreements are of different kinds, reflecting the complexity and variety which now characterise the Union's relations with third countries. The agreements with Israel and Morocco are Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements and arise in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership which was adopted at Barcelona in November 1995. The Euro-Mediterranean process involving the Union and 12 Mediterranean partners is intended to support the Mediterranean countries in their efforts progressively to transform their region into a zone of peace, stability and prosperity. Bilateral agreements between the Union and the individual Mediterranean partners are complementary to the multilateral framework of the Euro-Mediterranean process. In addition to their other provisions, the association agreements are essential to the gradual construction of the EU-Mediterranean free trade area by the target date of 2010 which is a central part of the Euro-Mediterranean process.
The completion of the network of bilateral association agreements between the Union and its Mediterranean partners is now well under way. In addition to the agreement with Tunisia, which was approved by Dáil Éireann in December last year, and the agreements now before the House, an interim Association Agreement has also been concluded with the PLO on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. A draft agreement has been initialled with Jordan and negotiations are at an advanced stage with Egypt and Lebanon. A negotiating mandate has been agreed in the case of Algeria and preliminary talks have taken place with Syria. The importance of concluding at an early stage the network of bilateral agreements was emphasised on all sides at the Euro-Mediterranean follow-up meeting I attended in Malta last week.
The agreement with Slovenia is a Europe Agreement. As such, the agreement acknowledges the European vocation of Slovenia and its wish to play a full part in the process of European integration. Slovenia participates already in the Union's pre-accession strategy for the Associated States of central and eastern Europe and has applied for membership of the Union. As the House will recall, Europe Agreements have already been concluded with nine other central and eastern European countries and these have been approved by Dáil Éireann at various stages between 1992 and 1996, most recently when the Europe Agreements with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were before the House. The Europe Agreements with Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic have already entered into effect.
The Agreement with Uzbekistan is a Partnership and Co-operation Agreement. Agreements of this kind, or PCAs as they are called, were initiated by the Union following the collapse of the Soviet Union. As their name indicates, PCAs are intended to assist the newly independent states, in partnership and co-operation with the European Union, in meeting the challenges of fundamental political and economic reform. Dáil Éireann approved Partnership and Co-operation Agreements with nine newly independent states, including Russia and Ukraine, in May last year. I advised the House at that stage that it was the aim of the Union, circumstances permitting, to conclude PCAs with all of the former Soviet Republics in due course. A further PCA, with Turkmenistan, is under negotiation.
As I mentioned, a note on the agreements for the information of Deputies has already been circulated.I have also indicated that the various types of agreement: Euro-Mediterranean Agreements, Europe Association Agreement and Partnership and Co-operation Agreement, their content and background, will be familiar to Deputies, having been discussed in detail on previous occasions in the House.
In relation to the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements, arising from the decisions of the European Council at Lisbon in 1992, and at Essen in 1994, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, involving the 15 EU and 12 Mediterranean partners — Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority, was initiated at Barcelona in November 1995. The declaration adopted at the meeting established a comprehensive partnership between the participants through strengthened and regular political dialogue, the development of economic and financial co-operation and greater emphasis on the social, cultural and human dimension. The partnership is based on a common commitment to respect for international law, human rights and democratic principles. In the economic field the Union has expressed its readiness to support the harmonious development of the region.
The Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements with the individual Mediterranean partners are wide-ranging and cover political dialogue, the progressive liberalisation of trade and capital movements and sectoral co-operation. Relations between the parties are to be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles. The trade liberalisation elements of these bilateral agreements will constitute important preparatory steps towards the realisation of the eventual Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area which is envisaged in the Barcelona Declaration. In the case of Israel, free trade in industrial goods with the Union is already in place on the basis of the 1975 EC-Israel Co-operation Agreement.
The objectives of the Agreement with Israel are the provision of an appropriate framework for political dialogue and, in the economic sphere: the reciprocal liberalisation of the right of establishment; further progressive liberalisation of public procurement; free movement of capital; intensification of co-operation in science and technology; encouragement of regional co-operation with a view to the consolidation of peaceful co-existence and economic and social stability; and the promotion of co-operation in other areas of mutual interest.
The agreement provides for the reinforcement of the existing free trade area between the Community and Israel subject to WTO disciplines. Appropriate anti-dumping and safeguard measures are provided for. Although restrictions on sensitive agricultural produce will remain, the Community and Israel shall progressively establish a greater liberalisation of their trade in agricultural products of interest to both parties.
The parties agree to widen the scope of the agreement to cover the right of establishment and the provision of services. The agreement also contains provisions relating to capital movements, payments, public procurement, competition and intellectual property. There are detailed arrangements set out in the agreement for intensifying scientific and technological co-operation. The agreement contains provision for wide-ranging sectoral co-operation, including regional and industrial co-operation and co-operation with regard to agriculture, financial services, standards, customs, environment, energy, information structures and telecommunications, transport, tourism, drugs and money laundering.
The agreement with Morocco has similar objectives. These are: to provide a framework for political dialogue; to lay the foundations for the progressive liberalisation of trade in goods and services as well as capital movements; to ensure the development of balanced economic and social exchange and, in particular, to pursue the goal of Morocco's development; to encourage intra-regional co-operation; and to promote economic, social, cultural and financial co-operation.
Political dialogue between the parties at ministerial and official level is provided for in Article 3 of the agreement. The objectives of such dialogue include the consolidation of security and stability throughout the Mediterranean region and in the Maghreb in particular.
The agreement will establish a free trade zone in industrial products between the EU and Morocco progressively over 12 years. Appropriate anti-dumping and safeguard measures are provided for. There are also provisions for the importation into the Community of selected agricultural and fishery products and the parties aspire to the further liberalisation of trade in agricultural and fishery products.The Agreement contains a commitment to widen its scope to include, at an unspecified date, the right of establishment and the provision of services by firms. Provisions governing payments and competition rules to prevent market distortion are also set out.
Broad ranging economic co-operation is provided for with the aim of supporting sustainable economic and social development in Morocco. It will include regional and industrial co-operation, co-operation with regard to education and training, science and technology, the environment, investment promotion and protection, standardisation and conformity assessment, approximation of legislation, financial services, agriculture and fisheries, transport, telecommunications and information technology, energy, tourism, customs co-operation and statistics. Specific provisions for co-operation against money laundering and in the fight against the production, supply and trafficking of drugs are included.
The Euro-Mediterranean agreements with Israel and Morocco cover, in addition, the conditions attached to the movement of workers from the associated countries within the Union. They provide for non-discrimination for legally employed workers and for the co-ordination of social security systems. This is the case also with regard to the Europe agreement with Slovenia. As a result of this and the provisions of the agreements relating to customs co-operation, which apply also in the case of the PCA with Uzbekistan, extra costs could arise to the Exchequer. It is considered, however, that such costs will be minimal.
The association agreements with Israel and Morocco are part of the bilateral component of the Euro-Mediterranean initiative of the Union. They are intended to consolidate the EU's involvement in the Middle East peace process which last year's Florence European Council declared a fundamental interest of the Union. The association agreements will complement the ongoing political and economic co-operation established at Barcelona. The Barcelona process is an important forum for political, economic and cultural co-operation within the Middle East region and for the region's relations with the European Union. Although not directly related to the Middle East peace process, the enterprise is inculcating the habit of co-operation between the Mediterranean partners which is a precondition for a lasting peace settlement in the Middle East.
This was clearly evident at last week's second Euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting in Malta, at which I represented Ireland. Although there were long and difficult discussions, which threatened to leave the meeting without an agreement concerning the reference to be made in conclusions to the current situation in the Middle East, the sense of common responsibility that has developed among Arabs and Israelis alike for the future of the Euro-Mediterranean process combined to ensure that the main issue was resolved. I will report to the House what I said on this developing Arab-Israeli co-responsibility in my intervention at the Malta meeting, namely, that the success achieved through the Euro-Mediterranean process in creating structures of co-operation, founded on trust and mutual respect, is an encouragement and an incentive to all concerned with the central conflict in the region.
The Government fully recognises the importance of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, reflecting as it does the growing interdependence of the two regions. It also recognises the strategic importance of the relationship between the parties for the future well-being, security and development of the EU and its Mediterranean partners. Efforts to advance the partnership were an important priority for our Presidency of the Union. We can recall with some pride our success in securing the adoption of the MEDA regulation under which 3.42 billion ECU is to be expended by the Union in financial co-operation with the Mediterranean partners in the period up to the end of 1999. During our Presidency also there was an intensive schedule of events in the context of the activity programme attaching to the Barcelona Declaration, while considerable progress was made in the negotiations on the various bilateral agreements.
The agreements with Israel and Morocco were signed on 20 November 1995 and 26 February 1996, respectively. The agreements will assist in the further development of Ireland's trade and economic relations with the two countries. In the case of Israel, trade has shown sustained growth in recent years, rising from £40 million in 1988 to £145 million in 1996. Exports to Israel have increased more than threefold since 1992, when they stood at £33 million to £100 million last year. Main exports in 1995 were food preparations, meat and meat preparations and computer parts. Imports from Israel, mostly vegetables and fruit, fertilisers and clothing, were worth £45 million in 1996. Exports of agricultural produce to Israel are of increasing importance, ranging from £30 million in 1994 to £44.5 million in 1995. Exports included 12,000 tonnes of frozen boneless beef in 1995 and an estimated 13,000 tonnes in 1996. There are also a number of significant joint ventures and partnership supplier arrangements between Irish and Israeli firms, particularly in the high technology sector.
In the case of Morocco, trade has also increased from £40 million in 1994 to £59 million in 1995. Exports increased from £11 million to £18 million and imports rose from £29 million to £41 million. The main items exported in 1995 were general industrial machinery, essential oils, perfumes, textile yarn, power generating equipment and computers. Main imports were fertilisers, computers, and fruit and vegetables.
Although the Government is recommending for ratification today agreements with a number of countries, the main focus of my address will concern the association agreement with Israel because of the considerable public interest which this measure has generated, as reflected in the recent comprehensive debate on the agreement which took place at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs. It may be suggested that given the recent deterioration in the peace process, now is not the time to conclude an association agreement with Israel. I will make a number of points in this respect.
First, the agreement with Israel and the interim association agreement with the PLO, as well as the whole Euro-Mediterranean process, is intended to underwrite the EU's commitment to the Middle East peace process and, as stated in the Barcelona Declaration, contribute to its success, grounded in common support for the realisation of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region based on the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the principle of land for peace.
Second, the peace process is a long-term exercise which has made great strides since the Madrid conference in October 1991. It requires courage on all sides, including ours, to make commitments and not to be deflected from our course by setbacks. We must undertake measures, in so far as it is open to us, which will help to ensure the success of the Middle East peace process.Third, we believe the Euro-Mediterranean exercise will enable Israel to feel less threatened and more at ease with its neighbours. The Euro-Mediterranean partnership is the only forum outside the UN which links the Union, Israel and a number of Arab states, including Syria and Lebanon which currently are not full participants in the Middle East peace process. The Mediterranean partnership can have an important function in helping Israel develop the confidence in its neighbours which it needs to continue the peace process; boycotts and the exclusion of Israel will not achieve this.
Fourth, the interim trade agreement between the EU and Israel, which gives Israel all the practical commercial benefits of the association agreement, has already been in effect since January 1996. Ratification of the association agreement by the European Union will give it the benefits of a closer political dialogue with Israel and a basis on which to raise human rights and other concerns. The success of the Euro-Mediterranean agreement with Israel will, in the medium to long-term, fundamentally depend on Israel's lasting commitment to the Middle East process, particularly its Palestinian track and on Israel's upholding of acceptable standards in human rights and humanitarian law.
As regards the question of Israel and the peace process, the recent Hebron agreement was a significant step that should have helped to unblock a negotiation that had been stalemated for several months. The EU's historic side letter of assurance to President Arafat was approved by both Israel and the Palestinians. This was the first time Israel had admitted that the EU could have a role in the negotiations between itself and the Palestinians.
The Hebron agreement included a reaffirmation of Israel's commitments to move towards the full implementation of existing agreements between Israel and the PLO, including troop redeployments, free passage between Gaza and the West Bank, the realisation of major infrastructural projects in those areas, such as the Gaza port and airport, an avoidance of measures that would prejudge the permanent status negotiations and an earnest and timely resumption of these negotiations.
The implementation of these commitments remains a priority for the EU special envoy and we hope to see action in this regard at an early date. Unfortunately the limited deployment announced by Israel on 7 March fell well below expectations and the decision by Israel to build a new settlement at Har Homa undermined what remaining confidence the Palestinians had in the peace process and led to an upsurge in street violence.The bombing in Tel Aviv on 21 March, the first such bombing in a year, was also a grave blow to confidence on the Israeli side.
I would not wish anyone to conclude that EU ratification of the association agreement represents a change in the Union's total opposition to Israel's settlements policy. The European Council in Dublin last December stated that settlements are contrary to international law and are a major obstacle to peace. Settlements violate the provisions of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war, which prohibit the transfer of civilian populations into occupied territory.
Let there be no doubt that Ireland, along with its EU partners, believes that settlement construction and its attendant actions, such as the annexation and expropriation of land and the expulsion of previous inhabitants and destruction of their homes are a serious breach of humanitarian law and Palestinian human rights, and are issues which must be fully addressed in the political dialogue which will be set up with Israel under the terms of the association agreement.
Israel's policy of settlement construction in Jerusalem is a particular concern. It infringes the Fourth Geneva Convention. It alters the demographic balance of the city to isolate and reduce its Palestinian population and to confiscate their property. One third of what was Palestinian territory in East Jerusalem has passed into Israeli hands since this policy began to be systematically practiced after Israel gained control of Jerusalem by force in 1967. Israel's Jerusalem policy is now being applied more intensively in the run-up to the permanent status negotiations where the issues of Jerusalem and settlements are to be dealt with. Israel is withdrawing the Jerusalem residents permits of Palestinians on the slightest of pretexts. As a result of this policy the Palestinian population of East Jerusalem has fallen to 160,000 and Palestinians now constitute a minority in East Jerusalem.
Israeli denial of Palestinian political rights is matched on the economic front by its continuing draconian blockade of Gaza and the West Bank. The GNP of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has plummeted; unemployment and poverty are rampant and are forming a breeding ground for extremism.
The Israeli blockade is undermining the peace process in two important respects. First, many Palestinians, seeing no visible improvement in their social and economic situation, are susceptible to calls for extremist solutions. Thus Israel in seeking, through the blockade, to enhance its security is creating the conditions for attacks on its own citizens by disaffected and impoverished Palestinians. Second the blockade of the territories is counteracting the substantial international donor effort, including that of the EU, and is stifling private investment which is indispensable for the establishment of a viable Palestinian economy.
The Government again urges the Israeli authorities, in the words of the Dublin European Council, to remove all restrictions except where Israel's legitimate security interests are manifestly engaged, as in the case of acts of terrorism. Economic and social development in the Palestinian territories requires first and foremost the total and rapid lifting of the blockade of the West Bank and Gaza, and of all obstacles to the free movement of persons and goods between Israel and these territories; within the West Bank and Gaza, including East Jerusalem; between them and other countries, in particular with Egypt and Jordan, in accordance with the Protocol on economic relations between Israel and the PLO, which is a part of the Declaration of Principles signed between Israel and the Palestinians in September 1993.
The economic blockade is damaging the implementation of the recently adopted EC/PLO interim association agreement. The European Council instructed the EU's special envoy to the peace process to promote concrete and immediate measures to address a number of issues concerning Palestinian social and economic development. That work is ongoing through a joint EU-Israeli mechanism led on the EU side by its special envoy.
In addition to the peace process, the second major area in which the Union's political influence will be strengthened as a result of ratification of the association agreement concerns human rights and humanitarian law. It may be suggested it is unbalanced to concentrate on Israeli practices. There are two reasons for doing so. First, Israel considers itself as belonging to the Western democracies and wishes to be treated on the basis of its professed commitment to the highest ideals of human rights. Israel is a state of law, as exemplified by the current controversy in that country over the appointment of a former Attorney General. Second, Israel has occupied foreign territory and this continues contrary to Security Council resolutions. Israel is indisputably engaged in the violation of human rights and international humanitarian law in that territory. We are concerned at continuing incidents of unlawful imprisonment, torture and ill-treatment of detainees by Israel. This is contrary to the provisions of the UN Convention against torture, to which Israel is a party. The Government has expressed its concern at decisions taken by the Israeli Supreme Court in recent months that Israeli secret service investigators can use enhanced physical pressure in the questioning of Palestinian detainees.
It may be asked how the provisions of the association agreement can bring about changes in Israeli policy given the shortcomings in Israel's human rights performance I have outlined. In answer to this, I would like first to reiterate that for the Union a common adherence to the principles of democracy and respect for human rights is a fundamental prerequisite in the process of deepening relations with our Mediterranean partners.The human rights clause is now a standard provision of all new generation Euro-Mediterranean association agreements. This clause states that relations between the parties, as well as the provisions of the agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guide their internal and international policies and constitute an essential element of the agreement. The importance of the human rights clause and extent to which it underlines all subsequent commitments is shown by the fact that it is placed almost at the beginning of the agreement, as Article 2.
I would like at this point to address the scepticism expressed recently in the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs concerning the effectiveness of the human rights provision in this and other agreements. It is important to make the point that these agreements are not human rights instruments, in the sense of setting standards to which acceding states must comply, as in the case of United Nations conventions for instance. However, nothing in the association agreement with Israel, or the comparable clause in other agreements, releases the signatory state from its obligation to comply with fundamental norms of international law. Israel is a party to the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights, which stipulates parties cannot in any circumstances derogate from a number of rights, such as freedom from torture. Israel is also a signatory to the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
Although not an agreement setting up human rights standards, the association agreement is important for the political leverage in respect of Israeli practices which its political dialogue provision offers the Union. The agreement places both the EU and Israel under a treaty obligation to conduct their relations on the basis of common respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The political dialogue established by the agreement deepens and intensifies our relations. It follows that this binds Israel into a relationship which allows the EU to engage with it on its human rights policies. Israel's ratification of the agreement means it must respond fully to our approaches. I, therefore, see the agreement in a positive way: permitting the Union to bring our interests to bear on Israeli policies.
The Government, like our EU partners, is determined that the human rights provisions of the new association agreements should not be window-dressing. On assuming the EU Presidency, we proposed to our partners we should start work on preparing the Union for the political dialogue which is a central part of the new relationship between the Union and Mediterranean countries. The Union, therefore, commissioned collective reports from the Head of Missions of the EU in the three states which had signed association agreements with the Union: Tunisia, Israel and Morocco. These reports, which remain confidential under the procedures of common foreign and security policy, have provided useful surveys of the human rights situation in the countries concerned. They provide a collective focus for all 15 partners and have already served as a guide for action. Following an Irish Presidency proposal, it was agreed by member states that these reports should be a precursor for a regular, active monitoring of the implementation of the human rights clause once the agreements are ratified.
It will be clear from this that the Council has for some time been gearing itself for the serious responsibilities the Union faces in ensuring the human rights clauses of the association agreements are effective provisions. Debates which have taken place in national parliaments and in the European Parliament have demonstrated that these concerns are shared by the executive and legislative branches of government. I appreciate the deep interest and concern on the part of Members of the Oireachtas in the EU-Israel Agreement, as evidenced at a recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, which included a submission from Amnesty International.I hope our exchange today will to some degree meet this concern and underline the importance the Oireachtas attaches to the need for serious and continuing attention to this matter.
Continuing on the theme of how we can ensure an effective political dialogue with Israel in the framework of the association agreement, I would also like to inform the House of another innovation launched by the Union under the Irish Presidency that directly concerns the issue of Israeli human rights practice. We proposed at the outset of our Presidency that a mechanism be established which would provide for EU monitoring of all Israeli settlement activity. This initiative was subsequently expanded to include Jerusalem. More recently, during the Dutch Presidency the EU has agreed to establish a further mechanism to monitor human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories by both Israel and the Palestinian authority in the areas under their control.
I also recommend the ratification of the association agreement with Morocco. Ireland favours the constructive role which Morocco, and notably His Majesty King Hassan II, has played in Arab councils, particularly on the question of the status of Jerusalem. This constructive moderation also characterises Morocco's participation within the Euro-Mediterranean process. It mirrors the continuing and careful strategy of political reform under way in Morocco, notably the revision of the constitution, the creation of a second chamber of parliament and the establishment of local and regional councils. Through these reforms, Morocco is responding to the spirit of a political dialogue in the association agreement based on respect for democratic norms. However, we are concerned at well documented claims of illegal detention as well as reports of ill-treatment in Morocco which violate international human rights and humanitarian law.
The Government remains concerned about the situation in the western Sahara, where unresolved differences between Morocco and the Polisario Front regarding voter eligibility have delayed the convening of the referendum in the region, which was a central element in bringing about the ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario in 1991. The initiation of the bilateral negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario is an encouraging development and we are also pleased by the Secretary General's appointment of former US Secretary of State, James Baker, as his special representative for the western Sahara. Both parties have demonstrated good will in their approach to the situation, notably through a joint release of prisoners, and we urge them strongly to move forward towards the resolution of outstanding questions.
We should ratify these agreements with Israel and Morocco because they are a step into the common future which the EU and the Mediterranean countries are building together. It is the Union's aim to create trust and confidence among the countries of the region, so that the Mediterranean can be made a zone of peace and prosperity, which will contribute to peace in the Middle East and the region as a whole. It is the Government's intention that the agreement's human rights provisions shall not remain merely an aspiration but shall be given practical expression. We should not, however, in respect of agreements between states, assume that we can construct watertight monitoring and compliance mechanisms which will automatically enable us to sanction each and every breach. What we can and will do is to keep Israel constantly aware of the force of our concerns, monitor its human rights behaviour closely, and exert as a Union a collective pressure on our Euro-Mediterranean partners to comply with their undertakings and accept that they must account for their human rights behaviour.
The European Union was built upon the belief that trade, co-operation and increased prosperity make war less likely. These agreements represent a historic attempt to extend that philosophy to the whole Mediterranean region. We now have the opportunity to contribute to making the Middle East peace process irreversible. As part of our contribution we should help Israel to expand its economy and consolidate its democratic institutions. Our relations under this agreement assume a commitment to the peace process and support for human rights and the rule of law. A peace process driven by democratic principles and institutions is, in my view, the only guarantee of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
I now turn to the agreements with Slovenia and Uzbekistan. The Europe Agreement with Slovenia, signed on 10 June 1996, provides a broad and comprehensive framework for relations with the EU. It provides for structured, high level political dialogue, phased movement on an asymmetrical basis towards free trade and an intensification of economic co-operation. The agreement recognises Slovenia's wish to participate in the process of European integration and to accede to the European Union. Slovenia applied for EU membership on 10 June 1996 and now participates in the Union's pre-accession strategy for countries of central and eastern Europe, including in the structured dialogue. The Europe Agreement with Slovenia, like those with other countries of central and eastern Europe, is based on the principles of respect for human rights, democracy and the market economy, which form the basis of the association. It provides for the establishment of a free trade area over a transitional period of at most six years. There are also provisions relating to movement of workers, right of establishment, provision of services, payments and movement of capital, competition rules and public undertakings, protection of intellectual, industrial and commercial property, access to public contracts, and the approximation of Slovenia's legislation to that of the Union. Economic, financial and cultural co-operation are provided for, as well as co-operation in the prevention of illegal activities, such as illegal immigration, drug trafficking and organised crime. Pending ratification of the agreement, its trade and economic co-operation provisions are being implemented by means of an interim agreement.
We are now on the threshold of enlargement of the Union to include countries of central and eastern Europe. Accession negotiations are to commence six months after the end of the Intergovernmental Conference, taking its results into account. In the interval between the end of the Intergovernmental Conference, which is due to take place at the Amsterdam meeting of the European Council in June, the European Commission will make available its opinions on the various applications for membership. The Commission will also issue a number of important reports which were called for by the European Council at Madrid in December 1995. These will include a study of the impact of enlargement on the Union's common policies and a paper on the future financing of the Union in the perspective of enlargement. Ireland welcomes the prospect of enlargement as both a political necessity and an historic opportunity which will enhance stability and confidence throughout Europe.
Since its emergence into independence in 1991, upon the break-up of the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovenia has, by any standard, been highly successful in reorienting its political and economic systems on the basis of democratic and market economy principles.Its per capita GDP, which is estimated at over $9,000, is the highest in the region. Our trade relations, while small in scale, have been growing steadily in recent years. In 1995 our exports were worth £10.5 million against imports valued at £5 million.
The Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with Uzbekistan was signed on the occasion of the European Council at Florence on 21 June last. The PCA with Uzbekistan, like those with the other countries of the former Soviet Union, is founded on respect for human rights and democratic principles as essential elements in its relations with the European Union. The agreement will govern political dialogue between the Union and Uzbekistan, as well as economic and trade relations. It contains provisions relating to trade in goods, labour conditions, conditions affecting the establishment and operation of companies, trade in services, payments and capital, and intellectual property.
The agreement also provides for economic, financial and cultural co-operation, co-operation on matters relating to democracy and human rights and co-operation in preventing illegal activities, including money laundering, the fight against drugs and illegal immigration. Pending ratification of the PCA, its trade and economic aspects will be implemented by means of an interim agreement, similar to those already signed with other former Soviet republics.
The European Union is in the process of evolution.Momentous steps will soon have to be taken with regard to economic and monetary union and enlargement, in addition to the complex issues under discussion at the Intergovernmental Conference. We are, I believe, on the threshold of significant developments which will determine the shape of Europe for some considerable time to come. To many people outside, the European Union is a beacon of hope. Whether they be citizens of countries which await anxiously the opportunity to join the Union, whether they be living in what to us may be a distant part of the former Soviet Union or whether they be citizens of the Mediterranean countries which seek a new relationship with us and with each other, the Union today exercises a strong attraction on countries and regions far beyond our shores.
From the destruction wrought on our continent 50 years ago, the European Community has established peace and prosperity among its member states. The values which we stand for, which include democracy and respect for the rule of law and for human rights, protection for minorities and market economy principles in accordance with the prerequisites of social justice, may not yet be shared fully by all of our third country partners. However, those values, which are central to the European Union, are being communicated through the role now being played by the Union on the wider international stage. The varied agreements before the House today confirm the strength and influence of the European Union for countries of different political, economic, social and religious backgrounds. I commend the agreements with the four countries concerned to the House for its approval.
