Frederica Mogherini, EU High Representative on Foreign and Security Policy, and Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship made the following remarks following their participation at the Ministerial conferences of the ‘Rabat’ and ‘Khartoum’ Processes in Rome.

High Representative Mogherini stated the following:

”I am very pleased with the results of the Ministerial conferences of the last two days: the ‘Rabat process’ and the ‘Khartoum process’. Thanks to the leadership of the Italian Presidency and the teamwork with Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, these two conferences have been a success; we need to act together and to find solutions for all aspects of migration.

Sometimes we are tempted to deal with this issue as a security matter, but our presence in Rome underlines the commitment of the European Union to have a broader approach. In this regard, within the European Commission, we have started to act in a coordinated way and to work from all different angles, in order to maximise the impact of our policies and projects. It is our responsibility to make sure that all the tools we have are coherent.

We need to tackle the emergencies, to deal with the dramatic conditions of people who put their lives at risk to try to find a better future, to work with countries of transition and to fight migrant smuggling. But we also need to tackle the root causes of irregular migration: poverty, conflicts, lack of resources. That’s why it is essential to develop fully all our European means. We need the impetus, support and political will from Member States and international partners, which we received these days in Rome.”

Commissioner Avramopoulos stated the following:

”During the two Ministerial conferences in Rome, and thanks to the hard work of the Italian presidency and the close cooperation and coordination with High Representative Frederica Mogherini, we achieved a number of tangible results that strengthen our capacity to deal with irregular migration from Africa.

The Rabat Process is a long standing initiative which has created a unique level of consensus and common vision for migration with our partners from North, West and Central Africa. Our support for the implementation of the Rabat Process has been far reaching. We have helped our partners in the region to strengthen their borders. In Mauritania, for example, we helped build the capacity of the border authorities, constructed border posts and provided necessary equipment. We have also assisted authorities in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt to strengthen their criminal justice systems in fighting smugglers of migrants.

The Rabat Process has now entered a new phase. Our ‘Rome Declaration’ underscores two priority areas:  1) strengthening the link between migration and development and, 2) prevention of and fight against irregular migration. The Rome Declaration has also added a new pillar for cooperation: international protection.

For the Khartoum Process, today we laid down the foundations for substantial political cooperation amongst the countries of origin, transit and destination along the EU-Horn of Africa migration route.

We will finance the first projects that will support migrants and refugees stranded along the migration routes from Eastern Africa. Moreover, EU funds have been allocated in order to help strengthen the cooperation with our African partners for the fight against smugglers and traffickers.

What is clear, therefore, is that our dialogue with our African partners is starting to pay off.  Our strength has always been and will continue to be, the way in which we mutually reinforce and complement our cooperation at all levels.

“We made very good progress,” Poul Thomsen, head of the IMF’s mission to Greece told reporters yesterday, adding that he hoped talks would be concluded early today, before the Eurogroup meeting of finance ministers.

Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras also said he was optimistic of a deal on Monday morning. The two sides were due to leave Athens yesterday, but could remain in touch to nail down final details, Reuters informs.

Government sources have suggested that the troika is in a position to complete its review of the adjustment programme and allow Eurozone finance ministers to decide later today whether to release another EUR 8.1 billion of bailout funding.

According to Kathimerini, a deal seems to have been clinched after the troika inspectors accepted Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ plans for completing a labour mobility scheme involving 12,500 civil servants.

However, Mitsotakis had to agree in return that the programme would run for eight months rather than 12. It appears that as a result of agreeing to shorten the duration of the scheme, Mitsotakis will be allowed until the end of September to identify all 12,500 public sector workers who will be transferred to other positions.

“It is sealed, there will not be any more meetings regarding the public sector,” Mitsotakis said on Saturday afternoon. “All that is left is for the Eurogroup to give its approval.”

According to sources, 5,000 of those who will be included in the programme will be local authority employees, including school crossing guards and cleaners. Some 3,500 municipal police officers will also be added. They will undergo an evaluation and for every one that is transferred to the main police force, another three will be dismissed. Another 2,000 employees are to come from the education sector, while ministry personnel will also be added once the restructuring of government departments is completed.

The two sides also appear to have reached an agreement over a supposed funding gap of about EUR 2 billion for this year and next. The Greek government said that it would “claw back” much of the overspending at healthcare provider EOPYY by forcing private clinics that worked with the public organization to accept reduced payments.

There were also reports that the troika agreed to the seasonal reduction of value-added tax in the food service sector from 23 to 13 percent in return for a rise in tax on luxury goods.

The next tranche of international aid for Greece could be split into installments, EU commissioner Olli Rehn said, holding out the prospect of a continued hand-to-mouth existence for Greece that threatens to stifle its economy.

According to media reports, Rehn confirmed what many officials have expressed privately amid growing frustration with Athens’ slow pace of reform, namely, that the tranche could be split into several installments.

The meeting will further strengthen bilateral cooperation and political dialogue between the two continents, promote shared interests and tackle common regional and global challenges within the Joint Africa-EU Strategy.

President Barroso said: “Africa and Europe are each other’s closest neighbours. The partnership between the European Commission and the African Union is becoming ever more relevant by the day. I look forward to our next College-to-College (C2C) meeting, an event which symbolises the cooperation, convergence and complicity between the two sister organisations that have been driving regional integration in both Europe and Africa. I am proud of what we have achieved together so far. And I am convinced that we can do much more in the future by jointly tackling our shared challenges, from climate action to regional security, eradicating poverty and sharing the benefits of trade and growth.”

The EU is the biggest trading partner for Africa and remains its most important donor. African countries received close to €24 billion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the EU in the period 2007–2012.

Most recently, the EU granted €50 million to support the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) through the African Peace Facility, which supports the African Union and regional African organisations in carrying out peace-keeping operations such as AMISOM in Somalia and MICOPAX in the Central African Republic. Through the African Peace Facility, the European Union covers mainly the non-military costs of the force, such as the daily allowances, and transport and medical costs. Since 2004, the EU has provided more than €1.1 billion through the African Peace Facility to prevent conflict and promote peace, for example in Darfur, Somalia, and the Central African Republic.

The meeting between the two Commissions will start with keynote speeches from AUC Chairperson Zuma and President Barroso, followed by a plenary discussion and thematic meetings of Commissioners. The discussions will cover regional integration, trade and infrastructure, economic governance and raw materials, as well as customs and taxation. Other key topics will be the environment and climate action, sustainable energy and agriculture, food safety and security, resilience, education, employment, health and migration.

A common challenge for both Africa and Europe remains to consolidate sustainable economic growth and ensure that it is inclusive in creating jobs, especially for women and young people. This requires coordinated action at continental, regional and national levels. In this context, the issues of trade, regional integration, agriculture and raw materials will be high on the agenda. In addressing education, health, women- and youth empowerment and development of human capital, the Commissioners will look at ways to cooperate more closely on the structural challenges in helping economies to prosper.

Nevertheless, carry-over from 2012 as well as the ongoing fiscal consolidation are projected to result in a further contraction of 4.4% of GDP in 2013. Investment is likely to continue underperforming in the short-run, as the majority of businesses still face liquidity constraints or wait to see more evidence of a pick-up of the economy. Though exports are projected to grow as the economy is improving its competitiveness, they are likely to remain subdued due to still weak external conditions. It is expected that these factors will continue to dominate for most of 2013, only partially compensated by the reversal of the liquidity squeeze, notably as the government plans to repay arrears for an amount of up to 4% of GDP. In line with this contraction in demand, the unemployment rate is now expected to peak at 27.0% in 2013.

The return to positive quarterly growth rates by end-2013 will be followed by positive full-year growth of 0.6% in 2014. This reflects ongoing positive supply-side developments. Reductions in unit labour costs (due to far-reaching labour market reforms) and product market liberalisation are expected to create new business opportunities and to encourage job creation once the economy picks up. In addition, the bank recapitalisation process and the overall stabilisation of the country are setting the preconditions for a return of capital to the country and renewed credit flows to the private sector. With a large part of the fiscal consolidation effort already legislated, consumers and investors appear to start regaining confidence which should strengthen domestic demand in 2014. Unemployment is nonetheless forecast to remain elevated at 25.7%.

Greater flexibility in wage bargaining arrangements drives the forecast for decreasing labour costs. Compensation per employee is projected to fall by 7.0% in 2013 and by 2.0% in 2014. Together with the effect of structural reforms in the product market, this is expected to translate into HICP deflation of 0.8% and 0.4% respectively in 2013 and 2014, leading to a significant inflation differential vis-a-vis the euro area average. This improvement in competitiveness, combined with euro-area recovery, should lead to export growth. The current-account deficit is expected to decrease from 7.7% of GDP in 2012 to 4.3% in 2013 and 3.3% in 2014.

In 2013 the government aims at primary balance followed by a primary surplus in 2014. This is supported by a package of savings measures amounting to 7.2% of GDP over 2013-14, which was adopted in November. Given interest payment reductions of almost 1% due to the debt-reducing measures adopted by the Eurogroup in late 2012, the overall government deficit in 2013 is now expected to be 4.6% of GDP. The structural balance is estimated to reach a surplus of 13⁄4%. Gross public debt is estimated at 162% of GDP in 2012, 15% of GDP lower than in the autumn 2012 forecast, mainly thanks to the debt buyback operation carried out in December 2012. The debt ratio is projected to increase to 176% of GDP in 2013 as the economy contracts, after which it is expected to fall at an accelerated pace, supported by an improving budget balance and stronger nominal GDP growth…”

In 2005, the Court ruled that Greece was not taking sufficient measures to close down and rehabilitate illegal landfills, of which there were several hundred operating across the country.

Eight years later, in view of insufficient progress since the ruling, the Commission is referring the case back to Court and, in line with established policy, suggesting a daily penalty payment of EUR 71,193 for each day after the second Court ruling until Greece complies with the judgment and a lump sum calculated on the basis of EUR 7,786 per day for the period between the first judgment and the day of compliance or the day of the second Court ruling.

Since the 2005 ruling, progress has been made by Greece through the closure and rehabilitation of many illegal landfills and the establishment of an adequate waste management system. The majority of these projects have been co-funded by the EU.

According to the initial calendar, all illegal landfills should have been closed and rehabilitated by the end of 2008. A letter of formal notice under article 260 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union was sent in April 2009, reminding Greece of its obligations.

However, according to the latest figures available to the Commission, some 78 illegal landfills continue to operate in violation of EU waste legislation and 318 are still in the process of being rehabilitated. The closure of illegal landfills is being delayed by the lack of alternative waste treatment facilities. The situation may become even worse since the Fyli landfill, which receives 90 % of the waste generated in the Athens region, is facing imminent saturation, and will have reached full capacity by the end of 2014. The Commission is therefore referring the case back to Court and requesting financial penalties. The financial penalties will be reduced every time landfills are closed and rehabilitated provided new ones are not created.

Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, said: “Considering how fast this crisis is growing, and the number of people it is affecting, Yemen is becoming one of the direst humanitarian crises in the world today with record malnutrition rates. But it is also among the crises that risk slipping off the radar of international donors. We cannot allow that. The European Commission is boosting its humanitarian support so that it can reach with relief more of the worst-affected people, the majority of whom are women, children and refugees. We are helping those who cannot help themselves, but we are also building bridges to rehabilitation – this is the only way to help Yemen pull out from the bottom where its chronic problems have dragged it”.

Conflict in the North is affecting around one million people, while more than 250,000 are suffering due to conflict in the South, and Yemen’s malnutrition levels are among the world’s highest with one million children suffering from acute malnutrition.

10 million Yemenis (40% of the population) live mainly on bread and tea. In some governorates like Hodeida, along the center of Yemen’s western coast, the level of global acute malnutrition is 32%, more than double the internationally recognized emergency level of 15%. The continuing influx of refugees from the Horn of Africa is adding to the humanitarian needs. Another challenge is the restricted access to those in need, caused by fighting and the repeated attacks on and kidnappings of relief workers.

The new aid allocation brings to €40 million the Commission’s 2012 humanitarian assistance to Yemen. The EU is as much as possible linking these humanitarian interventions with early recovery and development programmes (especially in the areas of food security and public health).

Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab peninsula. Over 43% of the population lives below the poverty line on less than EUR 2 a day. It has the world’s third highest rate of malnutrition.

Poverty combined with conflict, drought, refugee flows and rising food prices, has aggravated an already deep humanitarian crisis during the last year.

Since 2004 an armed conflict in the north has seen six major cycles of fighting and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. More than 310,000 have not yet been able to return to their homes. Those who have gone home now struggle with slow reconstruction and a lack of even the most basic services. The conflict has also had a severe impact on the livelihoods of a million people living close to the former fighting zones.

Flight from fighting has also displaced over 170,000 people in the South who are unable to return to their homes and have no employment prospects.

Yemen is also directly affected by the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. Over 250,000 refugees, mainly from Somalia and Ethiopia, are stranded in the country and live in precarious conditions either in Kharaz, the only camp for refugees, or in poor urban areas.

It is very difficult to bring aid to those who need it in Yemen as a worsening security situation means that aid workers struggle to reach many areas. This leaves large numbers of displaced people isolated from essential humanitarian aid.

The European Commission maintains its long-term commitment to helping alleviate Yemen’s acute humanitarian needs. Since 1994 it has provided more than €93 million in vital assistance to the affected population.

The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, said: “With the violence spiralling out into a full blown civil conflict hundreds of thousands of Syrians are in a desperate situation. The needs are huge inside the country but also on the increase in the neighbouring countries which face a larger influx of Syrian refugees as I saw for myself when I met Syrian refugees in a camp at the Turkish border with Syria. The scaling up of the EU assistance is the most concrete expression of our solidarity with the Syrian people affected by the conflict”.

The additional funding will go to projects which provide food, water, sanitation, shelter, medical support and supplies, as well as psychological support for an estimated 1.5 million Syrians inside the country as well as to Syrian refugees.

The Commissioner reiterated: “Once again, in the strongest of terms, I call on all parties to protect civilians, including humanitarian workers. The shooting at ambulances and the targeting of aid workers has to stop”.

The Commission will continue to channel its funding through its humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), who are uniquely placed to ensure that the delivery of humanitarian aid based on the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

In addition, €23 million were recently allocated to assist the Syrian people to cope with the unrest and its consequences including medium-long term assistance to Internally Displaced People or people who have fled to neighbouring countries. The Commission is also reserving extra funds for Syria and the consequences of the unrest, to be used inside Syria or in neighbouring countries.

Between 1.5 and 3 million people are affected by the violence in Syria, while the entire civilian population is suffering from shortages of both food and fuel. Over 113,000 people have already fled the country and are being hosted and protected by neighbouring countries, mainly Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan and Iraq. Host countries have been working to meet the most basic needs of refugees and to ensure minimum protection.

The intensification of violence inside Syria has hindered the capacity of humanitarian workers to provide essential relief to populations in need. Lack of information has also prevented the international community from analysing and monitoring the overall extent of the situation and thereby hampering a full and comprehensive humanitarian response.

Syria also hosts some 500,000 Palestinian refugees and other 87,000 Iraqi refugees. The needs of the refugee population in Syria have inevitably grown as a result of loss of employment opportunities, devaluation of the currency, and inflation. The European Commission has already increased its 2012 humanitarian budget for the Iraqi crisis by €2 million to boost the support to the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees in Syria.

The needs of the Palestinian refugees in Syria are being addressed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to which the EU is a major donor.

New digital technologies are opening up great opportunities for creators, consumers and businesses alike. Increased demand for online access to cultural content (e.g. music, films, books) does not recognise borders or national restrictions. Neither do the online services used to access them. This is where collecting societies come into play, in particular in the music sector, where they collectively manage the licensing of copyright-protected music tracks for online use on behalf of composers and lyricists and collect and redistribute to them corresponding royalties.

However, some collecting societies struggle to adapt to the requirements of the management of rights for online use of musical works, in particular in a cross-border context. As a result of today’s proposal, those collecting societies willing to engage in the multi-territorial licensing of their repertoire would therefore have to comply with European standards. This would make it easier for service providers to obtain the necessary licences for music to be distributed online across the EU and to ensure that revenue is correctly collected and fairly distributed to composers and lyricists.

More generally, collecting societies operating in all sectors would have to comply with new European standards providing for improved governance and greater transparency in the conduct of their activities. The need for a change of certain practices was highlighted by recent cases where royalties collected on behalf of rightholders were lost due to poor investment policies, but also by evidence of long-delayed payments of royalties to rightholders.

Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier said: “We need a European digital Single Market that works for creators, consumers and service providers. More efficient collecting societies would make it easier for service providers to roll out new services available across borders – something that serves both European consumers and cultural diversity.” He added “More generally, all collecting societies should ensure that creators are rewarded more quickly for their work and must operate with full transparency. This is paramount to sustaining investment in creativity and innovation which will in turn lead to additional growth and increased competitiveness.”

Today’s proposal pursues two complementary objectives: To promote greater transparency and improved governance of collecting societies through strengthened reporting obligations and rightholders’ control over their activities, so as to create incentives for more innovative and better quality services. Building upon this – and more specifically – to encourage and facilitate multi-territorial and multi-repertoire licensing of authors’ rights in musical works for online uses in the EU/EEA.

In practice:

- Rightholders would have a direct say in the management of their rights, be remunerated more quickly and their ability to choose the most efficient collecting society for their purposes would be enshrined in law. This would bring about better protection of rightholders’ interests, as well as increased access to cultural content for consumers.

- The new rules would change the way in which collecting societies work across Europe, with new requirements such as improved management of repertoire, quicker payments to members, clarity in revenue streams from exploitation of rights, an annual transparency report and additional information provided directly to rightholders and business partners (such as other collecting societies). Member States would need to have mechanisms for solving disputes between collecting societies and rightholders. Improved standards and processes should result in better functioning collecting societies and more confidence surrounding their activities.

- The multi-territorial licensing of authors’ rights for the use of music on the Internet across borders would be facilitated but also subjected to the demonstration of the technical capacity to perform this task efficiently. This would benefit authors, internet service providers and citizens alike.

What it means in terms what we do: to facilitate the economic development and to provide further support for your reforms and transformation – which define the historic changes initialled by the people for the people.

Success of the transition is however in your own hands and will require continuing the political and economic reforms.

We had very good discussion today with the Prime minister and some ministers not only about how the EU could support the transition but also about what is the concrete assistance we are delivering already.

I have signed two Financing Agreements: a €20 million programme designed to improve the competitiveness of the services sector, the other, for €7 million to boost the role of civil society in Tunisia. This is a concrete contribution to the transformation process.

When I came last year, we promised to increase funding for Tunisia by €150 million over three years. And in fact we will have already committed these funds by the end of this year. So there is potential for more. Our funding will be spent on support to poor regions, access to health care, renovation of popular neighbourhood, to name only a few examples.

Tunisia is already the largest beneficiary of the SPRING programme. If reforms continue, we will mobilise additional support. It is through cooperation with Tunisia that we turn the principle “more for more” into practical instrument for transformation of autocratic regime to democracy.

Our agenda goes well beyond money. We want to have a whole range of new agreements that will help Tunisia to prosper and create jobs and economic opportunities:

First: we are working on a new “Privileged Partnership” and negotiating a new Action Programme.

Second, I have just proposed re-launch negotiations on a number of trade agreements, notably those for agricultural products, investments and services. These will open the door to the vast EU market for Tunisian agricultural products, and facilitate EU investments in Tunisia.

Third: we understand the importance of tourism for Tunisia and we are proposing a new agreement in the aviation area which will boost tourism and business.

Fourth, we are proposing a mobility partnership that will facilitate the exchange of people between Tunisia and the EU.

Finally, we are keen to intensifying the political dialogue on freedoms, democracy and reforms. I discussed with my counterparts fundamental freedoms, democratic values and reforms, because it is important that the ideals of the Revolution – social justice, respect for personal dignity and freedoms, can be achieved. Here the EU can share its own diverse experience of managing transition processes. And there were many examples, including my own country the former Czechoslovakia.

I also discussed developments in the wider region, including recent elections in Libya and Maghreb integration, for which we share very similar views.

We respect the Tunisian people. We see you as a valued neighbour. You are facing many challenges in the transformation, but you are not alone. Your success will be an example for the region and the World.”

Barroso added: “I want, once again, to pay tribute to the courage and exceptional resilience of the Greek people. A lot of sacrifices are being demanded from them to redress their economy and move into a prosperous future.

The second economic adjustment programme agreed between Greece and the Eurogroup is the foundation to achieve this goal. We stand ready to continue to support Greece in its endeavour…”

President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy ahead the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico argued: “…We more than share the worries about the debt crisis in the Euro area. It’s in our own interest to overcome this crisis… The crisis has affected different countries in different ways. These divergences were reflected in the current account of the balance of payments. Today these divergences are decreasing significantly. So are the fiscal deficits in the Euro area. A common currency needs this convergence.

We continue also combining three ways of tackling this crisis: reforms at the level of the Member States and at the level of the Euro area; promoting economic growth with an active agenda on investment and at the same time ensuring differentiated fiscal consolidation; crisis management with new financial and governance tools (for instance recapitalising the banks) and at the same time deepening our economic and monetary union, so that the euro becomes an irreversible project…”

“…The Euro area Member States are determined, all the more after the choice made by the Greek people. Greece wants to stay in the eurozone. We are confident that the new Greek government will take ownership of the adjustment programme to which the Greek authorities had committed earlier this year. This is the basis upon which to build to foster growth, prosperity and jobs for the Greek people…”

Finally, European Parliament President Martin Schulz made the following statement on the results on parliamentary elections in Greece: “I welcome the results of the general elections in Greece. The results show a broad and clear support in favour of Greece staying in the euro zone.

I salute the efforts of the Greek people to overcome the crisis. They have made great sacrifices. I hope the burden of the reforms will be spread more equally to achieve greater social justice.

I hope that Greece will rapidly form a government that breaks the political deadlock and pursues the required reforms to overhaul the economy and Greek public finances. The Greek people deserve a stable and prosperous future.

I congratulate Antonis Samaras and his New Democracy party for winning the elections and I encourage the Greek political forces to form a responsible coalition government in the coming days.

I am particularly pleased with New Democracy’s declaration that they will broadly stick to commitments Greece has made to the European Union.

The new Greek government will be able to count on our constructive cooperation in possible fine-tuning of its reform strategy and economic targets. If Greece sticks to its commitments, the EU can examine what could be done further to solve the crisis.”