This memo will address the issue of EU response to the events in Tunisia through three different aspects:
1. The political response to the uprising and the subsequent developments in the country
2. The revival of the debate on illegal immigration and EU’s strategy to tackle that issue
3. The ENP Review
Before looking at the past few months, it is important to recall some elements of the relationship between the European Union and Tunisia to better comprehend EU’s response. Tunisia was the first Mediterranean country to sign an Association Agreement in 1995, which came to force in 1998. In the 1990s, Tunisia was perceived as a front-runner for EU efforts in the region, both politically and economically. Tunisia and the EU engaged into political dialogue, democracy promotion, and Tunis was the first country to carry out projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIHDR). It was also one of the prime beneficiaries of the MEDA fund with an average of €85 million between 1995 and 2004. Cooperation seemed to be prosperous. In 1990, EU aid development to Tunisia already represented 39 percent of Tunisia’s aid assistance, a share that has consistently been growing ever since.
