Spain-France Summit
JOINT PRESS STATEMENT
The twenty-second Spain-France Summit was held at Élysée Palace, in Paris, on 10 October 2012.
The Summit was attended by the President of the Republic of France, Mr. François HOLLANDE; the
President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain, Mr. Mariano RAJOY; the Prime Minister of
the Republic of France, Mr. Jean-Marc AYRAULT; the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Laurent
FABIUS and Mr. José Manuel GARCÍA-MARGALLO; the Ministers for Home Affairs, Mr. Manuel
VALLS and Mr. Jorge FERNÁNDEZ DÍAZ; the Minister for Ecological Affairs, Mrs. Delphine BATHO
and the Minister for Industry and Energy, Mr. Miguel ARIAS CAÑETE; the Delegate Minister for
Transport, Mr. Frédéric CUVILLIER and the Minister for Public Works, Mrs. Ana María PASTOR
JULIÁN; the Delegate Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Bernard CAZENUEVE and the State
Secretary for European Affairs, Mr. Íñigo MÉNDEZ de VIGO.
The President of the Republic of France and the President of the Government of Spain signed the
following Declaration. In turn, the French and Spanish Ministers for Home Affairs signed a triennial
plan of action on the fight against drugs aimed at cutting off the sources and routes of passage
used to transport drugs.
On the occasion of this Summit, the President of the Republic of France and the President of the
Government of Spain reaffirmed the excellent health of relations between the two countries. They
underlined their desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation between France and Spain, and
highlighted a shared outlook on the main European challenges and their agreement on
international affairs.
1. Bilateral Cooperation
The exemplary level of cooperation that exists between France and Spain on matters of security
will be maintained. France underlined its absolute solidarity with the policy adopted by the
Government of Spain on putting an end to ETA terrorism. The two countries call for this group to
disband.
The Summit also enabled progress to be made on transport issues. The Barcelona-Figueras HighSpeed Railway Line will be finished before the end of the year. All interested parties are asked to
implement the necessary processes for the first trains to be operating on the entire line between
France and Spain before the end of April 2013. The works and studies on the Atlantic line continue
moving forward and commitments were made to the preliminary studies regarding the central
Pyrenees crossing.
The development of transportation methods that are more respectful of the environment also
looks to the sea. Backed by the success of the first Short Sea Shipping “highway”, France and Spain
reaffirmed their desire to move forward with the implementation of a second route between Vigo
and the north of France.
The President of the Republic of France and the President of the Government of Spain confirmed
their commitment to fostering a European energy policy. Any increase in energy exchange and the
security of supply must involve the development of interconnections between France and Spain.
The very high voltage line that is currently being built in the Mediterranean region between Baixas
and Santa Llogaia is expected to begin operating in 2014. The technical feasibility studies on the
route of a second line along the Atlantic, around the Bay of Biscay, should be concluded towards
the end of 2013 for a decision to be taken in 2014.
2. European Affairs
France and Spain reaffirm the irreversible nature of the Euro and are adamant on preserving its
integrity. It must be possible to mobilise the solidarity mechanisms as quickly as possible.
Integrated banking supervision in the European space, encompassing all banks, must be
implemented before the end of the year. The possibility of direct recapitalisation via the European
mechanisms must be opened up. Finally, France and Spain wish to empower the Eurozone with
new political ambition. They are committed to strengthening the economic and monetary union
based on integration and solidarity.
The President of the Republic of France and the President of the Government of Spain stress the
importance of mobilising all the instruments for growth that exist at a European level and call for a
swift implementation of the pact for growth. They call for Europe-wide approval of a tax on
financial transactions, as decided upon in the Pact. They have joined in the request made to the
European Commission in this regard and welcome the approval of a sufficient number of Member
States to open the way to the rapid implementation of strengthened cooperation.
France and Spain will contribute to the approval of a Multiannual Financial Framework for the
European Budget 2014-2020 that supports growth, employment and investment. They highlight
the essential role played by the Common Agricultural Policy in growth, food security and regional
planning, and are committed to defending the maintenance of the loans that are assigned to
them. They also emphasise the important contribution to growth made by the cohesion policy,
even in the outermost regions. The President of the Republic of France and the President of the
Government of Spain call for the anticipated agreement on the European Budget not to limit itself
to issues of expenditure but to also cover revenue.
The President of the Republic of France and the President of the Government of Spain emphasise
the important need for reciprocal action in terms of opening up markets. They call for a rapid
examination aimed at exploring an agreement on the proposed regulations regarding access to
public sector contracts with third party countries. The reciprocal action objective must also be fully
integrated into the free trade agreements signed by the European Union.
The President of the Republic of France and the President of the Government of Spain call for a
continuation of the bilateral efforts on matters of Defence that have already begun, ahead of the
France-Spain Defence Council to be held in early 2013.
3. International Affairs
Finally, the President of the Republic of France and the President of the Government of Spain
expressed agreement regarding their perspectives on international affairs. They support the
legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. They offer their support to the African initiatives in
response to the situation in the Sahel and call for the European Union to comprehensively
mobilise its instruments for development aid and security policy and common defence. Finally,
they call for a “Mediterranean of projects”.