Relaunching the Euro-Mediterranean Policy
27 January 2025 | Conference | English | Spanish | Catalan
The relations between the EU and the ten neighbouring countries of the southern Mediterranean are defined by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which was established in 2004 and revised in 2015. The fundamental pillar of this policy is constructing an area of stability and resilience through the shared promotion of a set of areas of common interest, such as economic development, security and migration. The EU also seeks to actively promote good governance, democracy and human rights in the southern Mediterranean countries as cross-cutting priorities to deepen dialogue with partners and support their citizens.
The EU launched the Agenda for the Mediterranean in 2021, which sought to recalibrate the approach to the Union’s cooperation with the countries of the Southern Mediterranean in response to the humanitarian and economic impact of COVID-19, accompanied by an Economic Investment Plan. In this response, the EU has promoted more sustainable, green and circular economies, as well as digitalisation, while maintaining a focus on human development, human rights and the rule of law.
However, since the approval of the Agenda for the Mediterranean, the geopolitical context has changed significantly with far-reaching consequences as a result of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the war in the Middle East that followed the events of 7 October 2003. In this sense, the perception of the EU – the most important donor and partner for the countries of the southern Mediterranean – has deteriorated significantly among the population of the region, while narratives against the EU proliferate, which are fueled by disinformation, manipulation and interference of foreign information, as other powers try to strengthen their influence in the region.
With the EU entering a new institutional cycle, rebuilding trust and strengthening relations with the southern Mediterranean have been included as a priority in the second mandate of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. In this regard, a new Commissioner for the Mediterranean has been appointed, tasked with implementing a new Pact for the Mediterranean, in close collaboration with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Pact will cover bilateral relations with the countries of the region as well as the regional dimension, promoting regional integration and cooperation with the southern neighbourhood, including within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
28 November 2025 will mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Euro-Mediterranean Declaration that established the Barcelona Process.
What assessment can we make of it 30 years later?
Are its principles still valid?
How does the Barcelona Declaration link with the new Pact for the Mediterranean?
Event attendance with prior registration
Agenda
This is the 34th Annual Conference of the Catalan Council of the European Movement.
Co-organisers:
