We are delighted to share with you the highlights of our third round table, held at the European Parliament!
The aim of this round table was to discuss cooperation between the European Union and Tunisia, as well as the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem.
It brought together a diverse group of participants, including representatives from our organisation, MEP Salima Yenbou and her team, guests from the European Commission, young Brussels politicians and former diplomats.
Salima Yenbou, MEP, stressed the importance of rethinking EU-Tunisia cooperation, with particular emphasis on the entrepreneurial sector. She called for trade and worker mobility to be facilitated. She stressed the need to work on the problems encountered by entrepreneurs and to seek innovative solutions.
Ghazi Ben Ahmed, President of the MDI, outlined the objective of reconciling the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean in order to achieve the objectives of the 1995 Barcelona Convention. He highlighted the need for economic reforms to generate growth and jobs, stating that these reforms cannot be generated by the Tunisian state alone. He called for collaboration between the private sector and the EU.
Faten Kallel, former Tunisian Secretary of State and founder of KLL Advisory, explained the genesis of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tunisia, noting that in 2016-2017 there were frustrations among young entrepreneurs and many departures to countries offering more favourable conditions for entrepreneurship. She mentioned the creation of start-up laws through a participatory approach, which has led to the creation of more than 1,000 start-ups in Tunisia.
Maya Boureghda, lawyer at the Tunis and Paris bars and specializing in banking, finance and corporate law, emphasized the need for dialogue between the public and private sectors as part of the creation of a law on the knowledge economy, in addition to the law on start-ups. She stressed the need not to focus solely on a small percentage of companies.
Mohamed Gastli, CEO of the Franco-Tunisian company NextPROTEIN, shared the shared his experience of setting up his company between the two shores: based in France with production in Tunisia. He highlighted the challenges of financing, R&D and the need to reassure investors about the business environment in Tunisia. As a result, nextProtein has become the only African company exporting proteins from insects to Europe.
Khaled Ben Jilani pleaded for a win-win relationship between Africa, Tunisia and Europe, highlighting the crucial role of African youth and the opportunities for collaboration in various sectors.
Conclusion
The round table highlighted the importance of deeper cooperation between the EU and Tunisia. Participants highlighted the need to create flexible tools to encourage entrepreneurship and growth in Tunisia. They also raised obstacles such as visas, financing, unfair competition and the need for cooperation in financing circular research.
The whole discussion reinforced the idea that the future is bright for Tunisia, with exciting opportunities for growth and innovation. African youth and entrepreneurs are ready to rise to the challenges to build a prosperous future.