Gulf Research Center Project Proposal
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EU-GCC Al Jisr Project Gulf Research Center Project Proposal “Public Diplomacy and Outreach Devoted to the European Union and EU-GCC Relations” EU-GCC Al Jisr Project Proposal Full Title EU-GCC “Al Jisr” Project Type of Funding Scheme Co-Financed Project “Public Diplomacy and Outreach Devoted to the European Call Addressed Union and the EU-GCC Relations” Name of the Coordinating Person Dr. Christian Koch Participant Number Organization Name Country 1 (Coordinator) Gulf Research Center (GRC) United Arab Emirates 2 Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) France 3 Bertelsmann Stiftung Germany 4 Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Belgium 5 European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) Belgium Fundacion Para las Relaciones Interncionales 6 Madrid y El Dialogo Exterior (FRIDE) 7 Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) Rome 8 Institute of Diplomatic Studies (IoDS) Saudi Arabia Kuwait University (KU) Euro Gulf Research 9 Kuwait Unit National Technical University of Athens School 10 Greece of Electrical and Computer Engineering 11 Sciences-Po (IEP) France EU-GCC Al Jisr Project Table of Contents 1. Concept and Objectives 1.1 Contextualization 10 1.2 Aim of the Project 11 1.3 Alignment with Call’s Objectives 12 2. Methodology 2.1 Overall Strategy 13 2.2 Deliverables 32 2.3 Expected Impacts 34 2.3.1 Expected Impact of the Al Jisr Project 34 2.3.2 Steps to bring about these Impacts 35 2.3.3 Relevance at the European level 36 2.3.4 Dissemination of Project results and Management of Intellectual Property 36 2.4 Risks Management 37 2.4.1 Risk Management 37 2.4.2 Scientific and Technological Risk 37 2.4.3 Management Risk 37 2.4.4 Quality Control 37 3. Project Management 3.1 Project Organization 38 3.1.1 Organizational Structure 38 3.1.2 Responsibilities 39 3.1.3 Staff Effort 40 3.2 Consortium 41 3.2.1 Partner 41 3.2.2 Consortium Agreement 51 4. Project Implementation 4.1 Project Plan 52 4.2 Detailed Work Description 53 5. Budget 5.1 Budget Overview 57 Table 1 57 Table 2 57 Table 3 58 Table 4 59 5.2 Detailed Forward Budget 60 Table 5 60 Table 6 63 Table 7 63 Table 8 64 Table 9 64 Table 10 66 Table 11 66 Table 12 67 Table 13 67 Table 14 67 EU-GCC Al Jisr Project 9 Brief Description The project’s main objective is threefold. Firstly, it aims to enhance public and well as professional knowledge and understanding of the European Union, its policies and institutions, among GCC citizens. Secondly, it strives to strengthen reflection and debate about EU-GCC relations and contribute to the future of policy-making between the two regions. Finally, closer links between the EU and the GCC will be ensured through the dissemination of information on the EU. The project will consist of five main components which will tackle the question of the promotion of GCC-EU relations to its fullest by addressing all aspects possible from training, debating, translating to dissemination. Preamble The Gulf and Europe are close geographical neighbors, yet their relationship has remained vague and not clearly defined. While talks between the two sides on how to formalize their relationship began almost immediately within the formation of the GCC in 1981 and in the wake of the failure of the Euro-Arab Dialogue, the 1989 Cooperation agreement signed by both sides simply stated the objective to be to “help promoting overall cooperation between equal partners on mutually advantageous terms in all spheres between the two regions and further their economic development, taking into consideration the differences in levels of 1 development of the parties.” A Joint Cooperation Council was established of representatives of both sides and this council has met on a yearly basis alternatively within the EU and the GCC. From the outset, the cooperation agreement rested on three main pillars: political cooperation, undertaking negotiations towards a free trade agreement, and economic and technical cooperation. Even then, cooperation has remained limited and the development of mutually beneficial relations have been thwarted by a combination of the incompatibility of institutional actors, the lack of political will, and the failure to conclude the free trade area negotiations. In this environment, the preference for bilateralism prevailed with individual European states conducting their relations with single states in the region rather than passing the Gulf file as a whole for consideration at the multi-lateral European level. In addition, even outside the GCC framework, a different set of relations developed with regard to Iran and Iraq, two key protagonist that make up the security condominium in the Gulf. There was in effect very little coordination between the different approaches and poles. Within this framework, the general notion that a higher degree of engagement is required has gained acceptance also in European political circles. With the EU increasingly taking over a more defined foreign and security policy role so also have the stakes within the Middle East placed themselves with urgency on the top of the agenda which is reflected in policy documents such as the European Security Strategy of 2003 and the 2004 Strategic Partnership with the Mediterranean and the Middle East. In the latter, it is clearly stated that: “The Strategic Partnership will focus on the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, including the 2 countries of the GCC, Yemen, Iraq and Iran.” The EU thus underlined its own view that it cannot avoid this region any longer. EU-GCC Al Jisr Project 1. Concept and Objectives 1.1 Contextualization Institutional relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the European Union (EU) have existed for nearly two decades. During this period, the two institutions have engaged at numerous levels, yet despite an already extensive network of strong bilateral ties to support the multilateral framework, interregional understanding and consequently cooperation has remained still quite limited. This is despite the numerous advantages that could be provided by a broadening of institutional ties not only on the economic front but equally in the provision of peace and security to one of the most important and strategic regions of the world today. In this context, the GCC and EU should seek an active expansion of their relations in particular considering that the two regions share historical links, geographic proximity, mutual dependence and strategic importance. The fact that the current international political scene confronts numerous challenges – from an array of security crises, to the impact of globalization and the liberalization of markets, to international terrorism and environmental degradation - necessitates better global leadership and new kinds of international cooperation. In regard to almost all of these issues the GCC states find themselves looking towards Europe. On the one hand, the GCC states’ anxiety about the security and stability of their own region suggests they would welcome more cooperation and support from the EU. This is reinforced by the need for international partners to help in the process of reform and development that these states have embarked on in response to domestic, regional and international pressures. On the other hand, the EU with its vast experience in regional integration and reform enjoys a high degree of credibility to help GCC states in their current development as well as in their own regional integration process. Recent steps such as the establishment of a GCC Customs Union, the decision by the GCC summit meeting in December 2007 to implement a single market as well as considerations about the introduction of a GCC common currency are all strategies that in one way or another mirror the development of the European Union. The EU is not only a possible example to follow but it is an institution from whose experience the GCC states are eager to learn. Coupled with the Gulf region’s rising strategic importance, not only in economic and security-related terms but also as far as political development, cultural exchange and even geographic location is concerned, both regions have thus come to a point where greater cooperation is crucial for their roles as influential political and economic actors. This is also the case given that the security concept as such is undergoing rapid transformation with the European Union at the forefront of defining how security in the near future is going to be structured and what that means in terms of effective response mechanism (see for example the European Security Strategy of 2003). For the Gulf region what is important is that Europe today is a continent dense with overlapping institutions that ensure that disputes and disagreements are handled in a constructive and ultimately mutually beneficial manner. In addition, Europe stands for a concept of comprehensive security in which politico-military issues are supplemented by the promotion of human rights, economic development and environmental protection to endure a fundamental maintenance of security and stability. Moreover, emphasis is placed on the notion of security as indivisible, meaning that the security of one state cannot be seen as separate of that of other states. The focus is therefore on promoting confidence-building measures as well as conflict prevention and management. At this stage, the aspirations for GCC-EU relations have not been fulfilled. Multilateral ties remain weak, bilateralism predominates and serious discussion has not sufficiently advanced beyond consideration of economic ties and relations. What has not been adequately recognized is the fact that beyond the initial steps that have been taken so far, Europe has something far more valuable to offer to the Gulf in terms of experience and history. Not too long ago, Europe was a continent imbued with strife and national animosity.