The Evolution of the European Union’s Mediterranean Policies

This paper studies the evolution of EU Mediterranean policy after the adoption of the Barcelona Declaration on the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (Euromed) in 1995. It identifies the main priorities of current EU policy towards Mediterranean countries. It is argued that the EU has yet to successfully form an effective model of cooperation with the Mediterranean countries. Moreover, it analyses how the complex institutional structure of the prioritization of bilateral cooperation with Mediterranean countries, and the weak adaptivity of the EU foreign policy, indicate the ineffectiveness of EU Mediterranean policy. Political and economic instability, as well as the diversity of the Euromed partners, further complicate the process of establishing a productive Euromed dialogue. The study suggests possible scenarios in which the Euromed might develop, which is especially important given the current systemic crisis within the countries of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean.