Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

The Euro - Mediterranean Partnership ( Euromed ) is the foundation of the European Union ( EU) institutionalized relationship with neighboring countries in the Southern Mediterranean in the form of trade, cooperation and Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. The Euro - Mediterranean Partnership was launched at the Euro - Mediterranean Conference of Foreign Ministers of the EU and the partner countries in Barcelona in 1995 to life, which is why it is often referred to as the Barcelona Process. In March, constituted as a permanent parliamentary monitoring body, the Euro -Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Since 2004, the Euro - Mediterranean Partnership was supplemented by the instruments of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The Mediterranean in 1995 charged by the EU "the area of ​​strategic importance ."

On 13 March 2008 the European Council to convert the Barcelona Process in a Union for the Mediterranean decided. The formal establishment of this union took place on 13 July 2008.

Members

The founding members were the Europaische area EU Member States, as well as twelve selected by the EU third countries of the Mediterranean:

  • Morocco Morocco
  • Algeria Algeria
  • Tunisia Tunisia
  • Egypt Egypt
  • Israel Israel
  • Lebanon Lebanon
  • Syria Syria
  • Jordan Jordan
  • Palestine National Authority Palestinian Territories
  • Turkey Turkey
  • Cyprus Cyprus (EU member since May 1, 2004)
  • Malta Malta (EU member since May 1, 2004)

With the exception of Cyprus and Malta, which are now members of the EU, and Turkey all partner countries have in common that they are classified in the EU as a non- European countries and therefore have no prospects of joining the EU. Instead, they are connected in the context of the Euro -Mediterranean partnership on the part of the Development Association and since March 2003 on the European Neighbourhood Policy and the EU. Libya has observer status since 1999, but is expected to be medium to long term integrated into the partnership.

Objectives

The ultimate goal is to create an area of peace, stability and shared prosperity in the Mediterranean basin, as well as a target for 2010 Euro - Mediterranean Free Trade Area ( EMFZ ). The EU relies on a stabilization and long-term transformation of the partner countries through economic, political and social cooperation.

Construction

In analogy to the CSCE process, the Euro - Mediterranean partnership is based on a structure of three baskets with the normative goal of democratization throughout the region. This fall about 90 percent of the available funds on the basket II

Basket I

Basket I include the political and security partnership, with the objective of respect for human rights, democratic norms, social pluralism, territorial integrity and the joint fight against terrorism and organized crime as well as the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Basket II

Basket II includes the economic and financial partnership. Key objectives are to support the sustainable development, the fight against unemployment, improving living conditions and reducing the North-South prosperity gap and the promotion of regional cooperation and economic integration in the partner countries. Main element of the second basket is the progressive establishment of a free trade area by the year 2010. Economic and financial partnership is terminated by encouraging foreign direct investment and the financial support under the MEDA regulations.

Basket III

Basket III involves the partnership of civil society in cultural, social and human affairs. The increasing polarization Islamic and Western world should a dialogue of cultures are opposed. The basket III thus completes the strategic objectives of the first two baskets, since the promotion of the rule of law and democracy is formulated with the involvement of civil society as an objective.

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