The Union for the Mediterranean: a rescue plan for Europe an opportunity or an opportunity for the Maghreb

Tunis El-Manar University

High Institute of Human Sciences

Memoire

The Union for the Mediterranean: An opportunity for the Maghreb or a rescue plan for Europe?

Developed and Presented by:

AYARI Sadok

Supervisor:

TRIKI Rim

Table of Content

Introduction:.............................................................................................p1

I/ The Geopolitical Assessment of the Occidental Part of the Med-region:

A/ The Poles of the Occidental Region of the Mediterranean Sea:..............................p3

-a- The Northern Shore: Europe.....................................................................p3

-b- The Southern Shore: The Maghreb..............................................................p4

II/ The Union for the Mediterranean:

1- The Steps Towards the Construction of the Union for the Mediterranean:..............p6

A/5+5Dialogue:.............................................................................................p6

B/Barcelona Process:.....................................................................................p6

2-The Union for the Mediterranean: a Philosophy of Partnership and Development:...p8

A/ The UfM a part of the European Neighborhood Policy:........................................p8

B/ The importance of the UfM for its Supporters:....................................................p8

C/ UfM: Strategies for Development:.................................................................p9

D/ Fields to Explore in the UfM:......................................................................p11

3- Factors urging the Union for the Mediterranean:...........................................p12

A/ European Reasons to join the UfM:...............................................................p12

-a- European Demographic Difficulties:.........................................................p12

-b- Safeguarding a Strong Europe:................................................................p13

B/ Reasons Urging Maghreb States to Join the UfM:..............................................p14

-a- The Socio-Economic Situation in the Maghreb:...........................................p15

III/ The Stakes of a Euro-Maghreb Partnership:

A/ The Socio-Economic Stake:........................................................................p17

B/ The Industrial Stake:................................................................................p19

C/ The Stake of Natural Resources:..................................................................p23

Conclusion:..............................................................................................p26

The List of Abbreviations

· AMU: The Arab Maghreb Union

· AU: The African Union

· BRIC: Brazil. Russia. India. China

· CM: Contract Manufacturer

· EIB: The European Investment Bank

· ENP: The European Neighborhood Policy

· EU: The European Union

· FDA: French Development Agency

· GDP: Gross Domestic Product

· ICTs: Information and Communication Technologies

· IGOs: Inter-Governmental Organizations

· IMF: The International Monetary Fund

· LAS: The League of Arab States

· MNCs: Multi-national Corporations

· NGOs: Non Governmental Organizations

· ODA: Official Development Aid

· UfM: The Union for the Mediterranean

· WB: The World Bank

· WSIS: The World Summit on Information Society

· WTO: The World Trade Organization

Introduction

· Introduction:

The Mediterranean basin witnessed the birth and the down fall of the most important civilizations that mankind had come across. Indeed, it is considered as a propitious setting of interactions for the civilizations of the region. Hence, the geographical position of the Mediterranean Sea imposed spontaneous interactions that came to print the relations among the old Mediterranean civilizations. So far, the empires surrounding the Mediterranean basin lived in a perpetual interdependence. Consequently, trade exchanges were a daily routine. Therefore, «Mare Nostrum,»^1(*), as called in Antiquity, had been for centuries a center of interest for different civilizations which targeted further influence and territorial expansion. As a result, the clash of interests revolved around the area, generated a climate of tension that led to the emergence of rivalry between the different entities of «Mare Nostrum». So far, the climate of rivalry grew more intense when Christianity and Islam, came to get involved into a domination race, in the Mediterranean basin. This resulted in the creation of a chasm that some believe it is the out come of the opposition of the religious forces. Nevertheless, culture and economic exchanges perpetrated the tradition of concord and interactions which characterized the region for centuries up to the contemporary era.

As far as the contemporary era is concerned a considerable gap came to be established between the states of the northern and southern shore of the Mediterranean. In fact, a great economic and political power flourished in the occidental region of Europe whereas in North Africa, as well as, in the rest of the Mediterranean states, peoples and rulers witnessed stagnation despite a glorious past. However, tough conjunctures that witnessed the Mediterranean states in the late of the 20^th C ,such as Oil crisis in 1983, pushed both shores of the Mediterranean basin to recognize that maintaining a solid partnership, would make out of the region an influential pole, capable to challenge other economic groupings and emerging powers.

Nonetheless, the success of a partnership in a given region is essentially based on the stability's degree of the states forming the partnership. However, the situations in the different regions of the Mediterranean are not all alike. In comparing the political situation in the occidental and the oriental basin of the Mediterranean, one can depict a clear imbalance. Indeed, the Palestinian issue, and the distorted relations between the states of the so called region of Middle East represent a wide range of impediments to a solid partnership in the oriental region the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast, the situation in the occidental region which namely includes the Maghreb and Europe is relatively stable, in such a way to provide a prosperous background to the establishment of a partnership such as the Union for the Mediterranean.

Thus, the study purports to explore the frame work of the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean which is the most recent project that tends to involve the whole Mediterranean region onto further partnership. Hence, there will be a special focus on the Euro-Maghreb partnership, since it represents the most advanced partnership that involves two groupings (i.e. European Union and the Arab Maghreb Union) in the Mediterranean region.

* 1 Mare Nostrum (Latin for Our Sea) was a Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea.

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