A cooperation rich in promises, the Barcelona Process (3/5)

Third article in our series of articles on the Euro-Mediterranean partnership: the Barcelona Process, its evolutions, its funding, and its replacement from 2008 by the Mediterranean Union, which became the Union for the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean, rich in cultures, an space of interconnection, a crossroads of civilizations, is a group of countries sharing a heritage, in which their different cultures have enriched each other. Relations have extended to economic and scientific exchanges. This unique identity has fostered the creation of networks that endure against a backdrop of a feeling of regional unity.

The European Union proposed a framework for multilateral cooperation with all the countries of the Mediterranean basin, initiating a new phase in their relations, addressing for the first time economic, social, human, cultural aspects and common security issues.

This partnership was concretized by the adoption of a declaration at the Barcelona Conference (November 27 and 28, 1995) by EU member states and the twelve Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPCs): Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria (suspended since May 2011), Tunisia, Turkey, the Palestinian Authority and, as an observer, Mauritania.

The League of Arab States and the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) were invited. The final declaration of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference was the start of what was called the "Barcelona Process" or "Euro-Mediterranean Partnership" (EMP), also known as "Euromed".

Its objectives and modalities are structured around three main components: political and security cooperation with the aim of defining a common area of peace and stability, economic and financial cooperation for the construction of a zone of shared prosperity, cultural and social cooperation to foster understanding between cultures and exchanges between civil societies.

The ultimate objective was thus to create a zone of shared prosperity within a Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EMFTA), which was initiated in the framework of the UfM in 2010. The financial instrument of this Euro-Mediterranean policy was the EU's MEDA program (Financial and Technical Accompanying Measures) for the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and its activities. From January 1, 2007, the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) took over. Ten EU partner countries benefited, through the MEDA program, from funds from the European Investment Bank.

This conference and the adopted declaration laid the foundations for a process aimed at achieving a multilateral framework for dialogue and cooperation between the EU and the Mediterranean third countries, also allowing for the definition of a work program:

Within the framework of the political and security partnership, members undertake to support a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement of conflicts in the Middle East, based in particular on the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

Within the framework of the economic and financial partnership, the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area is governed by Euro-Mediterranean association agreements and free trade agreements between the MPCs. These agreements are concluded in compliance with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Partners define priorities for facilitating the establishment of the FTA and must also set cooperation priorities concerning transport infrastructure, the development of information technologies and the modernization of telecommunications.

Regarding the social, cultural and human partnership, members cooperate with the aim of developing human resources and fostering understanding between cultures and exchanges between civil societies.

In 2005, with the aim of strengthening and tightening the links of the partnership while reaffirming and developing its objectives, which thus gain depth, the objective of establishing a free trade area between all Euromed countries was affirmed.

This partnership, based on peaceful relations between all member states who share common interests as well as a long history of mutual exchanges, extends to immigration and the fight against terrorism, which become priority areas.

The Barcelona Process, launched in 1995, is a unique and ambitious initiative that laid the foundations for a new regional partnership within the framework of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. The partnership was implemented in 2008 with the establishment of the Union for the Mediterranean. November 2025 marked the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, a historic initiative for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation launched in 1995 with the hope of shared peace in the Middle East.

This initiative brought together countries from both sides of the Mediterranean to strengthen their ties and address common challenges in political, economic, cultural, social, and environmental fields. The Barcelona Process paved the way for the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in 2008, consolidating a spirit of regional cooperation that endures today.

The conflict in the Middle East has proven that the stability of the region is crucial for global security, and any crisis within or around it inevitably reverberates worldwide. Furthermore, the region faces growing economic disparities, a deepening climate emergency, social fragility, and significant vulnerability.

In such a critical context, it is important to ask whether sufficient efforts have been made over the past thirty years to strengthen regional and multilateral cooperation frameworks to address common challenges.

Next article: the Union for the Mediterranean, general assessment since 1995 and, without hiding the obstacles, will offer perspectives for 2026

Previous articles:

1/5 Mediterranean Union: what has become of the Barcelona process?

2/5 The Mediterranean idea put to the test of European balances