81 “The European Union Election Assessment Team Libya 2012,” eeas.europa.eu/eueom/missions/2012/libya/mission_en.htm. Parliament is fully involved in the European Neighbourhood Policy. Through its Foreign Affairs Committee, it oversees the implementation of the ENP, including annual ENP progress reports and ENP audits. The Committee monitors the political situation in partner countries through regular exchanges of views with senior government officials, experts and civil society stakeholders. The budgetary powers give Parliament direct influence over the amounts allocated to the European Neighbourhood Instrument and the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). Parliament`s approval is required for the conclusion of all association agreements with the ENP`s southern partners. Parliament must also approve any new trade agreements, including future DCFTA with Morocco and Tunisia. Since the Tunisian revolution of 2011, the EU has provided political, financial and technical support to the country`s democratic transition. The legal basis for bilateral relations remains the Association Agreement, which has been in force since 1998. In 2012, the EU and Tunisia agreed to establish a “privileged partnership” with a detailed action plan for 2013-2017, taking into account progress. In July 2018, the EU-Tunisia Association Council adopted the main guidelines for the EU-Tunisia Preferred Partnership for the period 2018-2020. In March 2014, Tunisia and the EU launched a mobility partnership that led to the opening of negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission agreements.

Negotiations for a CCFTA have been approved and are ongoing in October 2015. The amicable adoption of a new constitution in Tunisia in January 2014 and the successful organisation of the parliamentary and presidential elections in October/December 2014, followed by the highly anticipated local elections in May 2018, were an important step forward in the country`s democratic transition. 85 EU EAT, “Final Report: National General Elections. July 7, 2012,” eeas.europa.eu/eueom/missions/2012/libya/pdf/eueat-libya-2012-final-report_en.pdf, p.