EU Ambassador Presents New Online Mapping of European Cooperation Projects in Tunisia
On the eve of Europe Day celebrations, the European Union Ambassador to Tunisia, Giuseppe Perrone, held a press conference to present the new version of the online mapping of European cooperation projects in Tunisia. This occasion also allowed him to provide a quantitative assessment of European engagement in the country, discuss the implementation status of the 2023 memorandum of understanding, and address sensitive topics such as migration, financing transparency, visas, support for media and justice, and European foreign policy.
New Online Mapping of European Cooperation Projects
Ambassador Perrone announced the launch of a fully revamped version of the online mapping of European cooperation in Tunisia, accessible on the website of the EU Delegation. This tool, which has existed since 2022, has been completely redesigned in terms of form and content to offer more intuitive navigation and better access to information. The platform lists all ongoing bilateral cooperation projects, organized by theme (agriculture, environment, health, education, research, infrastructure, etc.) and located on an interactive map of the Tunisian territory. Each project sheet details the committed amount, objectives, implementation partners, potential co-financing, activity updates, and visual content produced. The site is regularly updated and retains projects for up to a year after their closure. At the time of the press conference, the platform listed approximately 87 ongoing projects, a figure expected to evolve as new annual signatures are added. The Ambassador presented this tool as an instrument of transparency intended for journalists, researchers, the academic community, and the general public.
1.35 Billion Euros in Ongoing Projects, Excluding Bank Loans
The total volume of cooperation projects currently underway in Tunisia amounts to approximately 1 billion 350 million euros, excluding loans from European financial institutions. Additionally, according to recently received data, around 350,000 European companies are established in Tunisia, generating 480,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Ambassador also recalled that 70% of Tunisia's foreign trade is conducted with the European Union, and that the bilateral trade balance between Tunisia and the EU is surplus, unlike that with China, which is described as "heavily deficit". He specified that the 1995 association agreement is the origin of 1.3% of Tunisia's GDP and around 3% of the progression of wage levels, emphasizing the determining role this framework has played in modernizing and integrating the Tunisian industry into European value chains. Finally, nearly 90% of major investment projects in Tunisia come from the European Union.
Memorandum of Understanding with Contrasting Results
When asked about the progress of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2023 with Tunisia, the first agreement of its kind concluded by the European Union with a Mediterranean country, Ambassador Perrone indicated that an evaluation mission from Brussels had conducted a periodic assessment of its implementation the previous month. He described a "non-uniform" situation according to the five axes of the memorandum: financial assistance, trade, mobility, people-to-people relations, and energy. The most significant progress has been made on the migration and energy fronts. In terms of trade, the Ambassador acknowledged some delay. He presented the memorandum as a framework giving new structure to an already established bilateral relationship, rather than an instrument creating obligations ex nihilo. Projects framed by this memorandum are consultable on the online mapping. He referred to the website of the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Middle East and North Africa.
Transparency of Funds: Public Decisions, Audits, and Right of Access
In response to questions about the destination and control of European funding, Thierry Béranger, Head of the Trade Section of the Delegation, provided detailed clarification on the mechanisms in place. He recalled that every financing decision is made by the European Commission and made public after examination by a committee of representatives of EU member states in Brussels, who give their approval. The allocated envelopes for Tunisia are then defined in consultation with Tunisian authorities, primarily the Ministry of Economy and Planning. The choice of implementation partner, who manages the budget and conducts activities, is made within this formulation process. All projects are systematically audited and evaluated, and part of these evaluations is made public. Journalists also have the right to request access to reports, under European legislation on access to documents.
Judicial Projects: Partial Results Linked to Evolution of Political Will
When asked about the assessment of a program to support the reform of the judicial system with a budget of around 100 million euros, Thierry Béranger retraced the history of this support, conducted over more than 10 years through three generations of programs. The first two generations primarily focused on supporting judicial infrastructure, including the renovation of regional courts and the digitization of the system, with some results being taken over and integrated by the Tunisian Ministry of Justice. The third generation took the form of budgetary support, a mechanism by which direct disbursements to the Tunisian public treasury were conditioned on the achievement of agreed-upon indicators. The major political indicators, notably judicial independence, the Supreme Judicial Council, and the establishment of constitutional bodies, were not met due to an evolution in the national political trajectory. However, more technical indicators related to the conditions of women's incarceration and the separation of minors from adults in detention were achieved. Thierry Béranger concluded that the success of such programs inevitably depends on the political will of the moment, which can evolve between the launch and closure of a project.
