Union for the Mediterranean
The Union for the Mediterranean is a forum for dialogue and partnership between the member states of the European Union and African and Middle Eastern countries in the Mediterranean Basin, with the aim of strengthening relations among them. It was created as a relaunched Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Barcelona Process) in 2008, when a plan to create an autonomous Mediterranean Union was dropped.
The Union encompasses all 27 EU member states and 16 states from around the Mediterranean: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey; and the Palestinian Authority. The headquarters of the Union is in Barcelona.
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History
The Mediterranean Union
A proposal to establish a "Mediterranean Union" was part of the election campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy during the French presidential election campaign in 2007. During the campaign Mr. Sarkozy said that Mediterranean Union would be modelled on the European Union with a shared judicial area and common institutions.[1] Sarkozy saw Turkish membership of the Mediterranean Union as an alternative to membership of the European Union, which he opposes,[1] and as a forum for dialogue between Israel and its Arab Neighbours.[2]
Once elected, President Sarkozy invited all heads of state and government of the Mediterranean region to a meeting in June 2008 in Paris, with a view to laying the basis of a Mediterranean Union.[3]
The Mediterranean Union was enthusiastically supported by Egypt and Israel.[4] Turkey strongly opposes the idea and originally refused to attend the Paris conference until it was assured that membership of the Mediterranean Union was not being proposed as an alternative to membership of the EU.[5]
Among EU member states, the proposal was supported by Italy, Spain,[6] and Greece.[7]
However the European Commission and Germany were more cautious about the project. The European Commission saying that while initiatives promoting regional co-operation were good, it would be better to build them upon existing structures, notable among them being the Barcelona process. German chancellor Angela Merkel said the MU risked splitting and threatening the core of the EU. In particular she objected to the potential use of EU funds to fund a project which was only to include a small number of EU member states.[8] When Slovenia took the EU presidency at the beginning of 2008, the then Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša added to the criticism by saying: "We do not need a duplication of institutions, or institutions that would compete with EU, institutions that would cover part of the EU and part of the neighbourhood."[9]
Other criticisms of the proposal included concern about the relationship between the proposed MU and the existing Euromediterranean Partnership, which might reduce the effectiveness of EU policies in the region and allow the southern countries to play on the rivalries to escape unpopular EU policies. There were similar economic concerns in the loss of civil society and similar human rights based policies. Duplication of policies from the EU's police and judicial area was a further worry.[10]
The proposal gets scaled down
At the start of 2008 Sarkozy began to modify his plans for the Mediterranean Union due to widespread opposition from other EU member states and the European Commission. At the end of February of that year, France's minister for European affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, stated that "there is no Mediterranean Union" but rather a "Union for the Mediterranean" that would only be "completing and enriching" to existing EU structures and policy in the region.[11] Following a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel it was agreed that the project would include all EU member states, not just those bordering the Mediterranean, and would be built upon the existing Barcelona process. Turkey also agreed to take part in the project following a guarantee from France that it was no longer intended as an alternative to EU membership.[5]
The proposed creation of common institutions,[12] and a Mediterranean Investment, which was to have been modelled on the European Investment Bank, was also dropped.[13]
In consequence the new Union for the Mediterranean would consist of regular meeting of the entire EU with the non-member partner states, and would be backed by two co-presidents and a secretariat.
Institutions and aims
Presidency
The Union for the Mediterranean is headed by two co-presidents: one from the European Union and one non-EU partner country. At the Union's inaugural conference it was agreed that the EU co-president would be chosen based on EU rules in force. And that the non-EU co-president would be chosen by consensus by the Mediterranean partner states for a non-renewable term of two years.
Thus while at the Union's first meeting the co-presidents were agreed to be France and Egypt, it is not clear who the co-presidents are now. On the EU side it is not clear what country or office-holder should take up the mantle of UfM co-president. And on the Southern end of the UfM, there does not appear to have been any discussion on who is to replace Egypt.
Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly
The Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly consists of elected representatives from local and regional governments from across the Union for the Mediterranean. The Assembly's inaugural meeting took place in Barcelona on 21 January 2010.[14]
The Assembly provides a forum within the Union for the Mediterranean, to bring together members of the EU's Committee of the Regions and their counterparts from the Mediterranean partner countries, with the aim of strengthening cooperation between local and regional authorities around the Mediterranean.[14]
Projects
The Union for the Mediterranean has identified six priority projects. These are:
- combating pollution in the Mediterranean Sea,[15]
- the establishment of maritime and land highways,
- civil protection measures including initiatives to combat natural and man-made disasters,
- solar energy plan for the Mediterranean,
- the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean University in Slovenia, and
- the creation of a Mediterranean Business Development Initiative focusing on fostering small and medium-sized enterprises in the region.[16]
See also
- Middle East economic integration
- Arab League
- European Union
- Accession of Turkey to the European Union
- Organisation of Islamic Conference
- Barcelona Conference
- Economic integration
- Continental union
- Intergovernmentalism
- Supranationalism
- Euro-Mediterranean free trade area
- Euro-Mediterranian Parliamentary Assembly
- European Neighbourhood Policy
- Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA)
- Middle East Free Trade Area
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sparks Expected to Fly Whoever Becomes France's President DW World 13 February 2007
- ↑ Sarkozy's proposal for Mediterranean bloc makes waves International Herald Tribune 10 May 2007.
- ↑ Goldirova, Renata (25 October 2007) France muddies waters with 'Mediterranean Union' idea, EU Observer
- ↑ Mediterranean Union: EJP 7 May 2007
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Turkey, reassured on EU, backs 'Club Med' plan, The Guardian 4 March 2008.
- ↑ "Sarkozy Gets Italy, Spain on Board for "Mediterranean Union"". Deutsche Welle. 21 December 2007. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3016610,00.html. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
- ↑ Sarkozy Karamanlis talks
- ↑ Mahony, Honor (6 December 2007) Merkel criticises Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union plans, EU Observer.
- ↑ Keller, Caroline (17 January 2008) Slovenia criticises French Mediterranean Union proposal, EU Observer.
- ↑ Behr, Timo and Ruth Hanau Santini (12 November 2007) Comment: Sarkozy's Mediterranean union plans should worry Brussels, EU Observer
- ↑ Vucheva, Elitsa (27 February 2008) France says it has no preferred EU president candidate, EU Observer
- ↑ "EU Leaders Show Muted Enthusiasm for Club Med Plans". Der Spiegel. 14 March 2008. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,541490,00.html. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ↑ Balmer, Crispian (4 March 2008) Sarkozy's Med dream deflated by Germany, Reuters
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Union for the Mediterranean brings Euro-Med local authorities together for ARLEM inaugural meeting
- ↑ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a657bcfe-9a16-11df-8346-00144feab49a.html
- ↑ European Union External Action Service. "The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership". Europa. http://www.eeas.europa.eu/euromed/index_en.htm. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
External links
- Website of Barcelona's candidacy to serve as headquarters. Includes information on the headquarters building [1]
- The Mediterranean Union: Dividing the Middle East and North Africa
- Déclaration commune du sommet de Paris pour la MéditerranéePDF (164 KB)
- Conférence de presse (18 mars 2008) de Bernard Kouchner au sujet de l’Union pour la Méditerranée
- Les discours sur le projet
- Interview d’Alain Le Roy, ambassadeur en charge du projet d’Union pour la Méditerranée
- Union pour la Méditerranée : le financement des projets reste flou
- Barcelona selected as the seat of the Union for the Mediterranean
- No Euro-Mediterranean community without peace, by Muriel Asseburg, Paul Salem, 10 Papers for Barcelona No. 1, September 2009, European Union Institute for Security Studies
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