The impact on human rights standards of recent changes in EU’s partnerships policies in the Mediterranean region

Over the past decade, top policy makers in the EU and its member states have on multiple occasions set aside the core values of the European Union in attempts to increase the role that governments in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean play in preventing immigration into Europe. The trend was kick-started with the conclusion in 2016 of a multi-billion aid packed to Turkey in 2016. It has over the past two years culminated with the conclusion of a multi-million agreement between the EU Commission and Tunisia in 2023 and with multi-billion agreements with Egypt and Lebanon in 2024. These deals have conditioned access to EU development assistance in key areas such as trade, investment, and energy on commitments from recipient governments to contribute to containing migration flows to Europe. As populist political movements have turned the migratory movement into a blackmail tool between the two shores of the Mediterranean, migrants and refugees rights are continually violated in transit and hosting countries.
At the seminar we will convene a panel of international experts and policy makers to shed light on the political drive behind these changing priorities in EU’s foreign policy towards the
Mediterranean.

14.15-14.30 Introduction by session chairs, Marie-Christine Vergiat, EuroMed Rights and Gianluca Mengozzi, Associazione Ricreativa e Culturale Italiana

14.30-15.15 Keynote speakers

• Timothy Caldas, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policies
• Tarek Megerisi, European Council for Foreign Relations
• Milena Zajovic, Journalist and human rights defender

15.15- 15.30 Q&A with keynote speakers

15.30-16.00 The Parliament role in the EU’s partnerships policies in the Mediterranean region

• Mounir Satouri, President of DROI Committee, European Parliament
• Laura Boldrini, Chair of the Standing Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies on Human Rights

16.00- 16.15 Q&A

16.15-17.15 Perspectives on EU’s partnerships policies in the Mediterranean from the human rights movement

• Monia Ben Jemia, Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates, Tunisia
• Moataz El Fegiery, Cairo Institute of Human Rights and Studies, Egypt
• Yosra Frawes, International Federation for Human Rights, FIDH
• Wadih Al Asmar, Lebanese Center for Human Rights, Lebanon
• Raffaele Crocco, Atlante delle Guerre/Unimondo

17.15 – 17.30 Concluding remarks by Rasmus Alenius Boserup, Executive Director for EuroMed Rights and Sara Prestianni, Advocacy Director for EuroMed Rights