Processus de Barcelone et Union pour la Méditerranée : une chance pour l’avenir

Dans une contribution pour la Fondation Robert Schuman, Jean-François Jamet, consultant auprès de la Banque mondiale, écrit que l’Union pour la Méditerranée « constitue une occasion de relancer l’intégration euro-méditerranéenne ».

The EU-Mediterranean partnership was launched in 1995 under the ‘Barcelona Process’ and is designed to boost cooperation between Mediterranean countries in areas such as security, development and culture. 

To establish the Union for the Mediterranean desired by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, « political and institutional conditions for regional integration » are necessary, says Jamet, calling for the creation of a free trade zone in the region. But he questions whether developing a « true project of regional cooperation » is possible. 

Moreover, he believes the size of the Union for the Mediterranean – potentially 43 members – will be a « handicap ». Indeed, it will make it more difficult to reach consensus and ultimately slow down decision-making, states the paper. The fact that these countries are so different regarding development, lifestyles and political regimes is seen by the author as a significant obstacle. 

Jamet adds that the relationship between the two regional blocs should be clarified, perhaps by deepening co-operation on energy and infrastructure. « Water and energy can be the Mediterranean’s coal and steel », he claims. Even though the two « cannot be in competition », the EU and the Union for the Mediterranean may intertwine. Another issue raised by the paper is the loose relations between the Mediterranean countries themselves in comparison to those occuring within the EU. 

Outlining the limits of the Barcelona Process, Jamet argues that Mediterranean states outside the EU are affected by development gaps and low investment. As for peace and political stability, he claims « no progress has been made ». 

The author suggests that the European Neighbourhood Policy favours the development of bilateral relations between the EU and its Mediterranean neighbours, thus constituting an obstacle to regional integration so long as each country is able to « have a privileged relationship with the Union » itself on an individual basis. 

Jamet concludes by calling for the EU’s institutional mechanisms to be simplified. He is particularly keen for the 27 member states to agree to be represented by a single voice in the Union for the Mediterranean.