Comprehensive Reassessment of the Algerian-European Partnership

Algeria is preparing, through the Algeria-EU joint parliamentary committee, to re-evaluate and review the partnership between the two sides to include submitting proposals to ministries to amend some points in the bilateral agreements, against the backdrop of the European Parliament’s repeated interference in Algeria’s internal affairs.

Echorouk obtained details from Algerian parliamentary sources saying that the meetings are expected to be held by representatives of the Algerian-European Parliamentary Joint Committee with ministers in the government of Aimene Benabderrahmane, to rediscuss the partnership file between the two sides in several sectors, in the wake of the abuses committed against Algeria by the European Parliament, which classified it in a list of countries which do not respect the freedom of expression and the press, a decision that rose the ire of the Algerian parliament, parties, organizations and associations.

In parallel, a meeting is expected to be organized in Belgium next September, which will bring together members of the Algerian-European joint parliamentary committee in an ordinary session, during which the file will be presented by Algerian MPs, to remove confusion about what Echorouk sources described as “disgraceful classification”, and to submit demands not to include Algeria’s name in reports that have nothing to do with reality, which the Algerian party considers “an attempt to distort Algeria’s reputation, the country that made significant strides in the field of freedoms and human rights.

In this context, MP Sid Ahmed Temamri, Chairman of the Algeria-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, told Echorouk that “the upcoming meeting will be organized between MPs of the Algerian and European parliaments. It will be an opportunity to re-evaluate the common developments between the two parties and to search for mechanisms to reach the set goals, with an emphasis on Algeria’s rejection of the regulations issued by this European institution”.

Temamri explained that such regulations are supposed to be discussed at the Algerian-European Parliamentary Joint Committee, and not the other way around, saying: “We reject the double standards policy in the field of human rights and freedoms of expression and any external interference in our internal affairs.”

“Some lobbies are trying to pressurize Algeria by using the platform of this European institution to pass its agenda and its policy of rejecting everything that is Algerian. Therefore, we reject this influence and consider it a blatant and unacceptable interference”, he added.

These developments coincided with a meeting organized by the Algerian committee last Wednesday, at the headquarters of the National People’s Assembly, which brought together representatives, including MPs and members of the National Assembly, to study the situation following the regulation issued by the European Parliament against Algeria, where it was agreed – as confirmed by the head of the committee – on studying the repercussions of this regulation, which is the third of its kind in four years.

Members of the committee also appreciated the content of the statements condemning the European Parliament’s regulation issued by the Union of Councils of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Pan-African Parliament, the Arab Parliament, the Arab Parliamentary Union, the Association of General Secretaries of Arab Parliaments, in addition to the Algerian Parliament in its two chambers.

A statement issued by the Algerian-European Parliamentary Joint Committee said that the organized meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the national community abroad.