Where does the future of Israeli-European Union relations stand? Last week I met EU Ambassador to Israel Ramiro Cibrián-Uzal for a talk about relations between Israel and the European Union.

EU AMBASSADOR to Israel Ramiro Cibrián-Uzal.
Photo: Courtesy

The evolution of the EU from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's supranational organization of 27 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA or Mercosur. It has many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding date and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future, many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded.

Internally, the EU is attempting to lower trade barriers, adopt a common currency and move toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income among member states (from $7,000 to $69,000) and historic national animosities, the EU faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. In 2004 and 2007, the EU admitted 10 and two countries, respectively, that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the other 15. Eleven established EU member states introduced the euro as their common currency on January 1, 1999 (Greece did so two years later), but the UK, Sweden and Denmark chose not to participate.

EU Ambassador to Israel Ramiro Cibrián-Uzal took up his position as the head of the European Commission delegation to Israel on January 1, 2005. He came from Brussels, where he worked with EC Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla.

Cibrián-Uzal joined the EC in 1988 and has served in its directorates general for environment, international trade and external relations. As an EU official he has represented the EU in numerous environmental, nuclear safety, nonproliferation and international trade negotiations, both at bilateral and multilateral level. The Kyoto Protocol, the IAEA Protocol on Extended Nuclear Safeguards and the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization are some of the major international activities in which Cibrián-Uzal has been involved. He has also represented the EU at several G-8 working groups and the World Trade Organization's Committee on Trade and Environment.

Here are some excerpts of our meeting.

What can be done to reduce anti-Semitism in European countries?

The European Union and the member states are doing a lot on both the legal level, through projects on the ground and through formal and informal educational frameworks to reduce anti-Semitism in Europe. A lot of this work is being done in cooperation with Israel. The newly formed Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna is also cooperating with Yad Vashem to promote Holocaust remembrance in Europe. The FRA will have greater capacity to collect information and data, provide advice to the European Union and its member states, and promote dialogue with civil society on anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and racism.

In the legal domain, the European Commission recently succeeded in having two important directives approved. The first is the European Union directive for combating racism and xenophobia that makes acts such as racist incitement and Holocaust denial a crime. The second is a directive that allows the banning of audiovisual media services that promote incitement to hatred, including incitement from non-EU countries. Last but not least, 2008 is the Year of Intercultural Dialogue in the European Union.

These are just a few examples of how the EU is acting to counter anti-Semitism. We need, however, to continue and increase this work.

Why haven't we heard the European Union's voice denouncing the academic sanctions in the United Kingdom against Israelis?

The European Union opposes boycotts against Israel and has a very clear policy of fostering dialogue and closer relations with the State of Israel in all fields. The clearest example of this is the jointly agreed EU-Action Plan that is part of the European Neighborhood Policy, and which we are now implementing. The EU has no intention of responding to calls to disassociate Israel from European Community programs such as the 7th Framework Program for Research and Technological Development. Indeed, the trend the EU encourages is the opposite, i.e. for Israel to join more EU programs as part of its gradual integration within the single market of the European Union.

How can the European Commission assist Israel to strengthen its commercial relations with moderate Arab countries?

Since 1995, when the European Union and its Mediterranean partners launched the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, sometimes known as the Barcelona Process, the EU has been actively pursuing the goal of establishing a free trade area in the Mediterranean, including between the Mediterranean partners themselves and between them and the EU. One way of promoting Israel's commercial relations with its Arab neighbors is by means of the regular Euromed trade meetings, which Israel attends. Another way is by means of the instruments we have developed to promote regional trade, such as accumulation of rules of origin.

Israel also takes part in regional trade networks like the MED MARKET network that deals with subjects such as free movement of goods, customs and trade facilitation measures, public procurement and so forth. Obviously, the political problems in the region still constitute a barrier to freer trade - and not just with Israel. But we are doing a lot, including at ministerial level to stimulate greater trading contacts between Israel and its neighbors.

Besides the Euromed trade ministerials and the initiative to cumulate rules of origin, the Commission is also actively pursuing trade cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.