Europe should focus on developing more trade with the Maghreb, said participants in a conference on boosting economic ties that began in Hammamet on Tuesday (May 25th).

"It is time for Europe to follow the example of the large regional groups which are now in place in America and Asia," reads the Hammamet Call, a document summarising the decisions taken at the conference in the Tunisian city. The Hammamet Call lays the foundation for a more integrated Mediterranean economic unit and stresses the need for a more co-operative future through the creation of structures and legislation for the region.

The Institute of Economic Prospective of the Mediterranean and the Arab Institute of Business Managers jointly sponsored the two-day conference to promote a "strong, durable and shared growth" in the region.

"We must pave the way for a new stage to accelerate the rhythm of integration in a way that is profitable for all of us," Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi told participants.

"Every one-point rise in the GDP of countries of the east and south of the Mediterranean leads to a 0.2-0.3 point rise in the GDP of countries of the north," said Ghannouchi.

"On the other hand, every one-point rise in the GDP of the EU countries leads to a 0.4-0.6 point rise in the GDP of the south Mediterranean countries," he added.

"Europe and countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean had no choice but to band together to build the size required to cope with the increasing competition of major regional poles," said French member of parliament Elisabeth Guigou.

Participants also urged Mediterranean states to embrace rational governance, emphasising that sharing the added trade value alone can be advantageous for every party and grant the whole region special weight.

Creating a Euro-Med bank for development and setting aside funds for collective investment of risk capital are crucial elements to boosting creativity and renovation in Mediterranean economies, conference attendants said.

Agriculture, food security and job creation received special consideration at this Mediterranean summit.

"Contrary to some of the old ideas, the presence of any European institution in Tunisia often contributes in maintaining job opportunities in Europe," said Tunisian Minister of Industry Afif Chelbi.

Political analyst Mohammed Tawfik Mouline criticised other projects of the Euro-Med partnership for limiting the focus of negotiations.

The Barcelona Track - created in 2005 to address regional terrorism - "was restricted to major national policies, marginalising countries and the importance of creating job opportunities there", said Mouline, who directs the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies in Morocco.

Greater focus needs to be placed on immigration, he said, which will have a tremendous impact on food, health and energy security for countries south of the Mediterranean.

By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis

© Magharebia.com 2010