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News Releases
No. 118/05
November 23, 2005
Media Advisory
10th Anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
(Barcelona Process)
The European Commission will participate this week in
several events commemorating the 10th anniversary of the
Barcelona Process. The Euro-Mediterranean
Conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers, held in
Barcelona on 27-28 November 1995, marked the starting
point of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, a
comprehensive framework of political, economic and
social relations between European Union Member States
and Partners of the Southern Mediterranean promoting
stability and prosperity in the region. At the center of
this weeks events will be the first
Euro-Mediterranean Summit which will be
held in Barcelona November 27-28 2005.
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership comprises 38 members,
25 EU Member States, 3 candidates for EU Membership and
10 Mediterranean Partners (Algeria, Egypt, Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria,
Tunisia and Turkey). It has been successful in achieving
many of its ambitious objectives. Politically, it has
promoted dialogue and co-operation leading to greater
stability and security in the Mediterranean region. Economically, the European Union’s co-operative efforts
have involved a budget of nearly 9,000 million euros for
co-operation programs and a similar amount in
European
Investment Bank loans for supporting the private sector
and for a variety of projects, including water
infrastructure in Jordan and regional desertification
control--amongst many others.
Important steps have also been taken towards meeting the
goal of creating a Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EMFTA)
by 2010.
For more information on the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership and a detailed list of events prepared by
the European Commission, please visit:
http://www.eurunion.org/newsweb/HotTopics.htm#mideast.
For the official Euro-Mediterranean Summit website,
please visit:
http://www.euromedbarcelona.org/Home_EN.htm.
Further Contact Information
Press and Media Relations
Delegation of the European Commission
2300 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
http://www.eurunion.org/PressRoom
Tel: 202-862-9552
Fax: 202-429-1766
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