Decision 2014/534 - Decision 534/2014/EU providing macro-financial assistance to Tunisia - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 151/9

Relations between the European Union and the Republic of Tunisia (‘Tunisia’) are developing within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Euro-Med Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, on the one hand, and Tunisia, on the other hand (2) (‘the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement’), entered into force on 1 March 1998. Under the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, Tunisia finalised dismantling tariffs for industrial products in 2008, thereby making Tunisia the first Southern Mediterranean country to enter into a free trade area with the Union. Bilateral political dialogue and economic cooperation have been further developed within the framework of ENP Action Plans, of which the most recent under discussion would cover the period 2013-2017.

Tunisia's economy has been significantly affected by domestic events related to the events in the Southern Mediterranean since the end of 2010, known as the ‘Arab Spring’, and by the regional unrest that followed, particularly in neighbouring Libya. Those events and the weak global economic environment, in particular the recession in the euro area, which is Tunisia's main trading and financial partner, have had a very negative impact on the Tunisian economy, leading to a slowdown in growth and generating large external and budgetary financing gaps.

Following the ousting of President Ben Ali on 14 January 2011, Tunisia's first free and democratic elections took place on 23 October 2011. A National Constituent Assembly has been in place since then, and although the political transition has not been without difficulties, there have been concerted efforts by the main political actors to proceed with reforms towards a fully-fledged democratic system.

The Constitution adopted by the National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia includes some advances in the field of individual rights and freedoms and gender equality, which set Tunisia on the path towards democracy and the rule of law.

Since the Arab Spring began, the Union has, on various occasions, declared its commitment to supporting Tunisia in its economic and political reform process. That commitment was reaffirmed in November 2012, in the conclusions of the meeting of the Association Council between the Union and Tunisia. The Union's political and economic support for Tunisia's reform process is consistent with the Union's policy towards the Southern Mediterranean region, as set out in the context of the ENP.

In line with the Joint Declaration by the European Parliament and the Council adopted together with Decision No 778/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (3), Union macro-financial assistance should be an exceptional financial instrument of untied and undesignated balance-of-payments support, which aims at restoring a beneficiary's sustainable external finance situation and should underpin the implementation of a policy programme containing strong adjustment and structural reform measures designed to improve the balance of payment position, in particular over the programme period, and reinforce the implementation of relevant agreements and programmes with the...