Union for the Mediterranean

Union for the Mediterranean UfM
Union for the Mediterranean logo
Member States of the Mediterranean Union EU countries ; other members ; Observers , suspended members , white stripes: disputed territory  
German name	also Euro-Mediterranean partnership
English name	Union for the Mediterranean, UfM
French name	Union pour la Méditerranée, rpm
Organization type	Intergovernmental Organization
Seat of the organs	Royal Palace of Pedralbes, Barcelona , Spain
Secretary General	Wet camel
Member States	43 countries
Official and working languages	English, Arabic and French
surface	12,358,770 km²
population	756 million
Population density	61.2 inhabitants per km²
founding	July 13, 2008
ufmsecretariat.org

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), also Union for the Mediterranean (colloquially Mediterranean Union ; French Union pour la Méditerranée (UpM); English Union for the Mediterranean (UfM); also EUROMED (from Euro-Mediterranean Partnership )) is an intergovernmental organization , consisting of 43 countries, which include all 27 member states of the European Union and 15 partner states from the Mediterranean region . The Union was founded in July 2008 at the Paris Mediterranean Summit with the aim of consolidating the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Euromed), which has existed since 1995 and is known as the Barcelona Process .

The Union's aim is to promote stability and integration throughout the Mediterranean. The Union is intended to serve as a forum for dialogue for regional strategic issues, based on the principles of communal ownership, communal decision-making and the communal responsibility of coastal states on both sides of the Mediterranean. The Union's primary objective is to achieve greater north-south and south-south integration in the Mediterranean to promote the socio-economic development of the countries and to ensure stability in the region. For the implementation of its measures, the organization has set itself two main priorities: supporting human development and promoting sustainable development . In this sense, regional projects of various sizes worthy of support are selected and officially recognized by the 43 countries after a mutual decision . Such projects and initiatives concentrate on 6 areas of activity that are specified by the UfM member states:

• Corporate development
• Higher education and research
• Social and Civil Affairs
• Energy and climate protection measures
• Transportation and urban development
• Water and the environment

history

French President Jacques Chirac , one of the co-founders of the Barcelona Process .

suggestion

At the request of France, which wanted to revive the Euro-Mediterranean partnership introduced in 1995, intensive negotiations between the states on the renewal of the process began in 2007.

The proposal for the establishment of a "Mediterranean Union" was originally part of the election campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy before the French presidential elections in 2007 . After his victory, he took up the idea again and presented the first plans for it. Despite the possible division that the Mediterranean Union could spark in the Muslim world, Sarkozy saw the plan as a way to contribute to the peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbors. In addition, in the eyes of Sarkozy, the Mediterranean Union should be an alternative to Turkey's accession to the European Union . On October 23, 2007, Sarkozy invited all heads of state and government of the Mediterranean region to a meeting in France in June 2008, at which "the foundations for a political, economic and cultural union based on strict equality" should be laid.

Reactions

The proposal met with approval from the EU Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, Italy and Greece. The northern EU member states, including Germany in particular, and the EU Commission , however, were much more reserved. In particular, it was criticized that hardly any details about the scope, institutions and contents of the planned Union were known. The relationship between the Mediterranean Union and the already existing Barcelona Process also initially remained unclear. Another important point of criticism was that the Mediterranean Union was not originally intended to encompass the entire EU, but only the countries bordering the Mediterranean. For this reason, it was feared that common EU policy in the region would become less effective and that the southern Mediterranean states could use internal EU conflicts to weaken obligations in policy areas that are uncomfortable for them, such as civil society and human rights issues .

Of the rest of the Mediterranean countries, Morocco , Tunisia and Israel supported the proposal, while Turkey did not accept it as an alternative to EU membership. The government of Libya declared it a mistake by the French government to launch the proposal without first consulting with the North African states. On June 11, 2008, the Libyan head of state Muammar al-Gaddafi intensified his criticism and declared that the Union for the Mediterranean was trying to split other organizations such as the Arab League and the African Union , of which most of the North African states are members.

Reduction of plans

In early 2008, Sarkozy began scaling back his Mediterranean Union plans to meet criticism from other EU member states and the Commission. In late February said the French Minister for European Affairs Jean-Pierre Jouyet , that there is "no Mediterranean Union" (Union méditerranéenne) , but a "Union for the Mediterranean" or, translated correctly, "Union for the Mediterranean" (Union pour la Méditerranée) will give . By changing the name, the linguistic association with the European Union (Union européenne) should be avoided: The new organization should not compete with the EU, but only "complement and enrich" its existing structures. In fact, the official name of the organization was later “Union for the Mediterranean”, but the short form “Mediterranean Union” was retained colloquially.

After a meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in March 2008 it was agreed that the project should encompass all EU member states and build on the existing Barcelona Process. The plan to replace Turkey's accession to the EU with the Mediterranean Union was also abandoned: Turkey was offered a guarantee that the establishment of the Mediterranean Union would not affect the accession negotiations with the EU; she then agreed to participate.

Creation of the Union for the Mediterranean

On July 13, 2008, the 43 heads of state and government of the Euro-Mediterranean area gave the green light for the Barcelona Process at the Paris Mediterranean Summit, and the Union for the Mediterranean was founded. This union was presented as a new stage of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership with new members and an improved institutional structure and the objective of “optimizing multilateral relations, increasing joint responsibility for the process, managing the organization on an equal basis and implementing it in concrete projects that are more visible to citizens. Now is the time to give new and sustainable energy to the Barcelona Process. More commitment and a fresh impetus are now required to turn the goals of the Barcelona Declaration into tangible results. "

The Paris summit was considered a great diplomatic success for Nicolas Sarkozy . The French President managed to gather all the heads of state and government of the 43 Euro-Mediterranean countries in Paris , with the exception of the kings of Morocco and Jordan .

At the Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers' Conference held in November 2008 in Marseille , the ministers decided to shorten the name of the initiative to the simpler form “Union for the Mediterranean”.

This meeting culminated in a new joint declaration, which complements the Paris Declaration, with a focus on defining the institutional structure and operating principles of the UfM. A rotating dual chairmanship has been established, which is jointly assumed by an EU member state and a Mediterranean partner. France and Egypt took over the first dual presidency . The presence of the Arab League at all meetings is specified in the statutes. A secretariat with legal status and its own statutes was created. Barcelona was chosen as the seat .

The fact that the Union for the Mediterranean was created as a new stage in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership means that the Union accepts the Barcelona acquis and is committed to respecting it, which aims to promote "peace, stability and prosperity" intended to serve throughout the region (Barcelona, ​​2). The four cooperation chapters that were drawn up over the course of 13 years as part of the Barcelona Process therefore retain their validity:

• Politics and Security
• economy and trade
• Sociocultural Affairs
• Justice and Internal Affairs This fourth chapter was added in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Summit on the occasion of the 10th anniversary, which took place in Barcelona in 2005.

The goal of creating a free trade area in the Euro-Mediterranean region from 2010 (and beyond) - a proposal that originally came from the Barcelona Conference in 1995 - was reaffirmed at the Paris summit in 2008.

In addition to these four cooperation chapters, the 43 foreign ministers met in Marseille in November 2008 and selected 6 specific projects that deal with the specific needs of the Euro-Mediterranean area and will help the partnership to become more visible:

• Environmental rehabilitation of the Mediterranean This broad-based project includes several initiatives aimed at green governance, access to drinking water, water management, pollution reduction and the protection of Mediterranean biodiversity.
• Shipping routes and motorways The purpose of this project is to strengthen and improve the transport of goods and people throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region, through the expansion and modernization of ports and the construction of motorways and railways. In particular, the Paris and Marseille declarations refer to the creation of trans-Maghreb rail and motorway routes to link Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
• Disaster control The disaster control project aims to improve the prevention as well as the preparation and response to both natural and man-made disasters. The ultimate goal is to “gradually bring the Mediterranean partner countries closer to the EU civil protection mechanism”.
• Alternative Energy Sources: Solar Energy Plan for the Mediterranean The aim of this project is to promote the production and use of renewable energies. Specifically, the Mediterranean partner countries are to become solar energy producers and export the electricity generated from them to the entire Euro-Mediterranean region. ^[4] In this context, the Union and the Dii industrial initiative signed a letter of intent in May 2012 for future cooperation, which provides for the further development of their long-term strategic programs "Mediterranean Solar Plan" and "Desert Power 2050". At the signing in Marrakech, the Secretary General of the Union described the new partnership as "a milestone on the way to the implementation of the" Mediterranean Solar Plan "."
• Higher education and research: Euro-Mediterranean University In June 2008, the Euro-Mediterranean University of Slovenia was inaugurated in Piran (Slovenia), offering advanced study programs. When the foreign ministers met in Marseille in 2008, they also spoke out in favor of the creation of another Euro-Mediterranean university in Fez , Morocco, the Euro-Mediterranean University of Morocco (Euromed-UM). The go-ahead for the university was announced in June 2012. ^[47] At the Paris summit in 2008, the 43 heads of state and government agreed that the aim of this project should be to promote higher education and scientific research in the Mediterranean region, and to subsequently create a “Euro-Mediterranean area for higher education, Science and Research ”.
• Mediterranean Enterprise Development Initiative The purpose of this initiative is to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the Mediterranean partner countries by “assessing the needs of these companies, developing policy solutions and providing them with resources in the form of technical advice and Financial instruments. "

2008–2010: the first years

The agenda includes summits of all heads of state and government every two years to promote political dialogue at the highest level. According to the Paris Declaration:

• Joint declarations are to emerge from these summit meetings with regard to the situation and challenges of the Euro-Mediterranean area, with the work on the partnership projects being assessed and a 2-year program being decided upon in each case;
• an annual meeting of the foreign ministers is planned to monitor the implementation of the summit declaration and to prepare the agenda for the subsequent summit meetings; and
• the host countries of the summit meetings should be determined by mutual agreement and consist alternately of an EU country and a country of the Mediterranean countries.

The first summit took place in Paris in July 2008 . The second summit should have taken place in a non-EU country in July 2010, but the Euro-Mediterranean countries instead agreed to hold the summit in Barcelona on June 7, 2010 under the Spanish EU presidency. However, on May 20, the Egyptian-French co-presidency together with Spain decided to postpone the summit, which they said was done with the intention of allowing more time for the indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that began that month were. In contrast, the Spanish media blamed the postponement on threats by the Arab countries to boycott the summit if Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman attended the foreign ministers' conference that was to take place in advance of the summit.

At the time of the Paris summit, France - then the incumbent EU presidency - and Egypt held the co-presidencies. Various agreements were then signed between France and the respective rotating EU presidency countries ( Czech Republic , Sweden and Spain ) in order to maintain the co-presidency for Egypt. A first rotation of the co-presidency was planned for the second summit of the Union for the Mediterranean. However, due to the two postponements of the summit, there was no opportunity to decide which countries should co-chair.

The conflict between Turkey and Cyprus was responsible for the delay in the approval of the Secretariat's statutes . These were only approved in March 2010, whereas the Marseille Declaration had already set a deadline of May 2009, the date on which the Secretariat should start operations. At the Paris summit, the heads of state and government, five deputy secretaries-general from Greece , Israel , Italy , Malta and the Palestinian Authority agreed . to appoint. Cyprus's rejection of Turkey's application for a deputy general secretary resulted in months of negotiations until Cyprus finally agreed to the creation of a sixth deputy general secretary, whose role was taken over by a Turkish citizen.

The Arab-Israeli conflict, due to its severity, is one of the factors affecting the Union for the Mediterranean the most. As a result of the armed conflict between Israel and Gaza from December 2008 to January 2009, the Arab group refused to meet at high level, blocking all ministerial meetings scheduled for the first half of 2009. In addition, the refusal of the Arab foreign ministers to sit down at the table with their Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman led to the cancellation of two foreign ministerial meetings in November 2009 and June 2010. In addition, various section assemblies of the Union for the Mediterranean were due to the actions of Israel against the Palestinians Civilian populations in the areas they occupied have been affected. At the Euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting on water, which took place in Barcelona in April 2010, the water strategy was not adopted due to a terminological discrepancy. The question was whether the areas claimed by the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese should be called “occupied territories” or “territories under occupation”. Two other ministerial meetings - on higher education and agriculture - had to be canceled due to the same discrepancy. ^[57]

After the first postponement, both France and Spain announced their intention to hold peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority as part of the postponed summit under the auspices of the US. In September US President Barack Obama was invited to a summit meeting for this purpose. The summit, which was then scheduled for November 21, 2010 in Barcelona, ​​was, according to Nicolas Sarkozy, "an opportunity to move the negotiations forward."

At the beginning of November 2010, however, the peace talks stalled and the Egyptian co-chairs set the condition for holding the summit that Israel must show that it is ready to resume negotiations. According to a number of experts, Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that 300 new housing units would be built in East Jerusalem marked the end of any chance of holding the November 21 summit. Together with Spain, the two co-chairs decided on November 15th to postpone the summit indefinitely, on the grounds that the stagnation of the peace process in the Middle East would make “successful participation” impossible.

After the UfM was slowed down in 2009 by the prevailing financial and economic situation, it received a decisive boost with the conclusion of the negotiations on the establishment of the General Secretariat and its official inauguration on March 4, 2010 in Barcelona in the Pedralbes Palace, which was specially redesigned for the occasion .

The EU ambassador for Morocco Eneko Landaburu announced in September 2010 that he “does not” “believe” in the Union for the Mediterranean. In his opinion, the division of the Arab countries "prevents" the implementation of a stable cross-regional and transnational policy, which is why he called for this ambitious project of the 43 countries to be dropped and the focus to be placed on bilateral relations.

2011 – today

On January 26, 2011, the General Secretary of the Mediterranean Union , Ahmed Masadeh , announced his resignation. The reason he cited was the inadequate ability of the Union to respond to the unrest that is taking place in Tunisia and Egypt these days . In addition, the dissatisfaction with the underfunding of the Mediterranean Union is said to have been a reason for the resignation.

On June 22, 2011, the UfM approved its first project, the construction of a seawater desalination plant for the Gaza Strip by awarding the “UfM Label” as a sign of the unanimous political recognition of the Union

In 2012, the countries belonging to the UfM gave seven new projects their political label and thus came to a total of 13 projects in the sectors of transport, education, water management and business development that were approved by the Union.

In January 2012, the Secretary General of UfM, the Moroccan Youssef Amrani, was appointed Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in the Benkirane government. His compatriot, diplomat Fathallah Sijilmassi, succeeded him as General Secretary of the UfM .

In 2013 the Union for the Mediterranean launched its first projects:

• April 30th: Young women create jobs
• May 28: Governance and financing of water management in the Mediterranean
• June 17th: LogismedTA

On November 14, 2013, the transport ministers of the 43 UfM countries met in Brussels on the occasion of the Ministerial Conference of the Union for the Mediterranean on transport.

Seven sectoral ministerial meetings took place between 2013 and 2015:

• UfM ministerial meeting on empowering women in society - September 2013
• UfM Ministerial Meeting on Transport - November 2013
• UfM ministerial meeting on energy - December 2013
• UfM Ministerial Meeting on Industrial Cooperation - February 2014
• UfM Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate Change - May 2014
• UfM ministerial meeting on the topic of the digital economy - September 2014
• UfM ministerial meeting on the subject of the Blue Economy - November 2015
• UfM ministerial meeting on regional cooperation and planning - June 2016
• UfM ministerial meeting on employment and the labor market - September 2016
• UfM ministerial meeting on energy - December 2016
• UfM ministerial meeting on water - April 2017
• UfM ministerial meeting on urban development - May 2017

In 2015, the UfM recognized a total of 37 projects, 19 of which are in the implementation phase.

On January 16, 2015, François Hollande addressed the difficult situation of refugees in Europe in his speech at the opening of the “Renouveaux du monde arabe” (Renewal of the Arab World) forum at the Institute of the Arab World and emphasized that “the existing institutions like the Union for the Mediterranean should be used more ".

On January 21, 2015, the King of Spain , Felipe VI , reaffirmed his commitment to the UfM and stated: “North Africa, especially the Maghreb , continues to be a priority in our foreign policy. We therefore strive to strengthen bilateral relations and our active participation in forums such as the Union for the Mediterranean or the 5 + 5 dialogue . "

On November 18, 2015, the updated European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), published by the European External Action Service and the Commission and confirmed by the European Council on December 14, positioned the UfM as a driving force for regional integration and cooperation.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration on November 26, 2015 and at the initiative of the UfM Co-Presidents, Federica Mogherini (Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) and Nasser Judeh (Foreign Minister of the Kingdom Jordan), an unofficial meeting of the foreign ministers of the UfM countries took place in Barcelona, ​​at which the countries renewed their political commitment to developing cooperation in the region within the framework of the UfM.

The third ministerial conference on empowering women in society was held in Paris in September 2013. The ministers of the 43 member states of the UfM who are concerned with women's rights and equality between men and women gathered at the conference.

On December 14, 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Decision A / 70/124, which grants the Union for the Mediterranean observer status.

On the occasion of their first meeting in 2016, the high-ranking representatives of the member states of the UfM approved four new regional projects in the areas of inclusive growth, sustainable development and self-determination for women.

In 2016 the UfM counted over 40 projects approved by the member states.

In February 2016, training activities in Jordan and Morocco as part of the officially recognized UfM project “Skills for Success” were successfully completed, including a high percentage of job placements. The percentage of job placements among all participating job seekers in Jordan and Morocco (115 graduates) was put at 49%, with 6% of the participants also finding internships.

On March 12, 2016, the UfM was awarded the Decoration of Honor by the Spanish Association for European Promotion (Agrupación española de Fomento Europeo - AEFE) in recognition of its work for universal values ​​and human rights in the Mediterranean region.

On June 2, 2016, at the invitation of EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn and the Jordanian Minister for Cooperation and Planning, Imad N. Fakhoury, the UfM held the first ministerial meeting for regional cooperation and planning of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Ministers recognized the need to boost economic integration among countries in the region as a means of creating opportunities for the inclusive growth and job creation required. They highlighted the crucial role of the Union for the Mediterranean in this regard and welcomed the work of the UfM Secretariat to support the further development of regional cooperation and integration, including by promoting projects across the area.

From July 18 to 19, 2016, UfM took part in the MedCOP climate conference 2016 as an institutional partner of the Tangier region. The MedCOP Climate Conference 2016 provided a forum for the presentation of various initiatives and projects supported by the UfM that contribute to the development of a climate agenda for the Mediterranean, such as the creation of a Mediterranean network of young people dealing with climate issues, the Regional Committee for Cooperation on climate finance to make the procurement of funds for climate protection projects in the region more efficient, or the opening of the Energy University by Schneider Electric , a virtual university .

From October 10-11, 2016, the UfM Secretariat in Barcelona hosted for the third time a high-level conference on the participation of women, which followed the 2014 and 2015 editions and in preparation for the fourth UfM Ministerial Conference to strengthen the role of Woman should serve in society, which is scheduled for late 2017. The conference served as a regional forum for dialogue, during which 250 participants from over 30 countries emphasized the need to invest in the indispensable contribution of women in the face of the current challenges in the Mediterranean.

After a request was made in the UfM Ministerial Declaration in Paris on the empowerment of women in society, a report was drawn up. The request was "to set up an effective follow-up procedure as a Euro-Mediterranean forum and to ensure an effective dialogue on women-related guidelines, laws and their implementation."

On November 1st, 2016 the UfM officially started the “Integrated Program for the Protection of Lake Bizerte against Pollution” in Bizerta , Tunisia. The event took place in the presence of the Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini and the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean Fathallah Sijilmassi. With a total budget of over 90 million euros over a period of 5 years, the program aims to clean up Lake Bizert in northern Tunisia, improve the living conditions of the surrounding population and reduce the main sources of pollution that affect the entire Mediterranean. The project is supported by international financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank and the EU Commission, as well as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In November 2016, the UfM Secretariat was given the official role of observer of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) during the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech 2016 and at the same time takes an active part in the implementation of the goals of the by launching specific regional initiatives and projects Paris Agreement in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

On January 23, 2017, the member states of the Union for the Mediterranean showed their political commitment to strengthening regional cooperation in the Mediterranean by participating in their second regional forum, which took place on January 23 and 24 under the title “Mediterranean in Action: Youth for Stability and Development ”took place in Barcelona, ​​the UfM Roadmap for Action adopted.

This action plan focuses on four main areas of activity:

• Strengthening the political dialogue between the UfM members
• Ensuring the contribution of UfM activities to regional stability and human development
• Strengthening regional integration
• Consolidation of the UfM's ability to act

On February 22, 2017, the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Sida) signed a multi-year EUR 6.5 million financial agreement to support UfM's activities for more sustainable and inclusive development in of the region.

On April 10, 2017, the heads of state and government of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain met at the 3rd Summit of the Southern EU States in Madrid, where they once again supported the Union for the Mediterranean and emphasized their " central role in the consolidation of regional cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean area as an expression of shared responsibility in the management of our joint regional agenda for jointly and efficiently overcoming our current challenges ".

In the course of 2017, 47 regional cooperation projects with a total value of over 5.3 billion euros were officially recognized by the UfM, following unanimous approval by all 43 member states. The implementation of the projects is progressing at a rapid pace and is seeing positive results on site.

Goals and projects

The primary objective of the Union for the Mediterranean is increased regional cooperation and integration as well as regional dialogue and the implementation of concrete and structure-defining projects for the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The Mediterranean Union should form a looser community than the EU. Sarkozy called on the Mediterranean states to “do the same, with the same goal and method” as the European Union, but made it clear that the Mediterranean Union would not be based on the supranational model of the EU.

When the plans were scaled back in early 2008, some of the original proposals were dropped, including a number of agencies to be set up and the plan for a "Mediterranean Investment Bank" (modeled on the European Investment Bank ). Instead, the Mediterranean Union should concentrate only on individual concrete projects. In the final declaration of the summit on July 13, 2008, the following projects were named:

• the environmental rehabilitation of the Mediterranean
• the establishment of transnational waterways and highways
• the creation of a common disaster control
• an energy, an education and a project for medium-sized businesses

The Germans and French also announced their intention to work with the southern countries to develop a "plan for solar energy " in which solar energy generated in North Africa would be exported to Europe. The Desertec project was founded for this purpose on July 13, 2009, although the Mediterranean Union itself was only marginally involved.

The final declaration formulated the creation of a Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction as a political goal . Member States committed to “strengthening democracy and political pluralism” and opposed both any form of terrorism and attempts to associate a religion or culture with terrorism. Regarding the contentious question of the Middle East conflict , it was agreed that they wanted to support the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians without naming specific goals or possible solutions.

Regional dialogue

Ministerial Conference 2016

The UfM is also active in the European Neighborhood Policy, which was launched in 2004, and in the respective development policy of the countries belonging to the UfM, in order to promote the development of a joint project in the Mediterranean region in the form of regular meetings between its 43 member countries.

More than 20 sector-specific ministerial meetings have been held since the UfM was initiated in 2008, with the participation of 43 countries, including 7 since 2013:

• Ministerial meeting on women's empowerment in society - September 2013
• Ministerial Meeting on Transport - November 2013
• Energy Ministerial - December 2013
• Ministerial meeting on the Ministerial meeting on industrial cooperation - February 2014
• Ministerial meeting on the environment and climate change - May 2014
• Ministerial meeting on the digital economy - September 2014
• Ministerial meeting on the Blue Economy - November 2015

• Ministerial meeting on regional cooperation and planning, Dead Sea, June 2, 2016
• Ministerial meeting on employment and the labor market, Dead Sea, 26 September 2016
• Ministerial meeting on energy, Rome, 1st December 2016
• Ministerial meeting on water, Malta, 27 April 2017
• Ministerial meeting on urban development, Cairo, 22 May 2017

In March 2015, the Interparliamentary Conference for EU Foreign and Security Policy and EU Security and Defense Policy described the UfM in its closing speech as the “most efficient and multifaceted cooperation forum in the region”.

In May 2016 the Parliamentary Assembly of the UfM praised in its final declaration of its 12th plenary session the "importance of the key role of the UfM for promoting cooperation and regional integration in the Mediterranean region [...]".

In January 2017, on the occasion of the 2nd UfM Regional Forum, at which all foreign ministers of the 43 member states met, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU Commission Federica Mogherini declared: “We have made a joint commitment to break this vicious circle of a lack of integration, tensions and conflicts and to invest in a coherent way within the framework of our Union for the Mediterranean in specific areas of activity in a greater willingness to dialogue and regional integrative cooperation. "

Regional projects

Through the procedure of official recognition, the UfM supports projects that are geared towards community regional challenges and have a direct impact on the lives of the population. Official recognition by the UfM guarantees regional recognition and visibility of the selected projects. In addition, this grants access to financing options via the UfM network of financial partners.

The most important added value of the UfM lies in the connection of the theoretically decided measures with the implementation in action on site based on concrete projects, which in turn flows into the definition of relevant measures by a large number of stakeholders. The implementation of projects on site follows the principle of "variable geometry ", which grants a certain degree of flexibility and enables a smaller number of countries to make amicable decisions for cooperation and participation in projects in the common interest.

In December 2015, a total of 37 projects were officially recognized by the UfM. In July 2017 over 45 projects were officially recognized by the UfM:

Human development

After a consultation phase with stakeholders, the UfM launched a regional initiative (Med4Jobs) in 2013, on the basis of which the priorities for the intervention in the areas of employment opportunities, placement activities and job creation in the region were defined for the development of specific projects.

By 2015, the UfM Secretariat had officially recognized a total of 13 projects that focused on the challenges of youth employment opportunities and inclusive growth. As part of the political mandate and the priorities put forward in regional dialogues, these projects are aimed at 200,000 beneficiaries, mostly young people, and involve over 1,000 small and medium-sized private companies.

On the subject of women's participation, 10 other projects with a total budget of over 127 million euros were officially recognized, from which over 50,000 women in the Euro-Mediterranean region will benefit and in which over 1,000 stakeholders participated.

The specific focus on youth employment opportunities and the participation of women is in line with the UfM's goal of strengthening human resources in the region, which is a key issue with regard to stability and security in the region.

As of July 2017, the UfM counted 26 officially recognized projects in the field of regional human development.

Corporate development

• Youth Employment Opportunities and Entrepreneurial Skills Development - Maharat MED
• Mediterranean entrepreneur network
• Promote financial integration through mobile financial services in the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries
• Creation of a regional platform for the development of cultural and creative industries and clusters in the southern Mediterranean
• Generation entrepreneurs
• EDILE - Economic development through integrative and local participation
• EMIPO - EUROMED Investment, Promotion and Observatory
• EMDC - Euro-Mediterranean development center for micro, small and medium-sized companies
• Agadir SME Program - Promoting SME competitiveness and trade in the Agadir Agreement member states
• YouMatch - “Toolbox Project”: Development and implementation of a needs-based toolbox for youth-oriented, innovative labor market services in the MENA region

Youth employability and inclusive growth

The UfM Secretariat has politically recognized 13 projects addressing the challenges of youth employability and inclusive growth. Within the framework of the political mandate (in particular the Ministerial Conferences on Industrial Cooperation and the Digital Economy) and based on the priorities set in the regional dialogues, these projects target around 200,000 beneficiaries, mainly young people, and involve over 1,000 private small and medium-sized enterprises .

Following a consultation process with the various parties involved, in 2013 the UfM launched a dedicated job initiative (Med4Jobs), which defines the priorities for action in terms of employability, placement services and job creation for the region, based on which further specific projects are to be developed.

On November 26, 2014, the UfM signed an agreement on “Strengthening the participation of the private sector in economic and social development in the Mediterranean” with ASCAME (Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry).

• MedNC - New Opportunity Mediterranean Network
• HOMERe - High chance of executive recruitment in the Mediterranean
• Higher education on food security and rural development
• EMUNI master's programs
• Three research areas for the EMUNI PhD programs
• Masters program in Risk Science
• Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez
• Eastern Mediterranean International School (EMIS)

Social and Civil Affairs

The UfM's first ministerial conference took place from November 11 to 12, 2009. The conference held in Marrakech focused on empowering women in society and resulted in the creation of a Foundation for Women in the Mediterranean.

On April 30, 2013, the 43 member countries of the UfM confirmed the project “Young women create jobs”, the aim of which is to promote entrepreneurship among women and gender equality. A Women's Entrepreneurship Day was held in Palestine in April 2015.

UfM also supports the “Employability of Young Women” program, the aim of which is to train young women looking for work, but the program lacks professional competence. The project was initially launched in Morocco , Tunisia and Jordan in the first half of 2014 and later expanded to Egypt and Lebanon in late 2014 and early 2015. In May 2015, the program benefited 180 women.

• WOMED: the "next generation of management"
• CEED GROW: Growing and advancing small and medium-sized companies
• Responsible Citizens - Promote citizen education to prevent violence in schools, especially against girls and women
• Promotion of the participation of women
• Skills That Lead to Success - Employment Skills for Women
• Young women as drivers of employment
• Promotion of the participation of women for inclusive and sustainable industrial development in the MENA region
• The right of women to health - The WoRTH project

Sustainable development

In 2015, 14 projects were recognized by the 43 UfM countries. The UfM works primarily on the cleaning of the Tunisian Lake Bizerte , the construction of the seawater desalination plant for the Gaza Strip and on the integrative urban development of the city of Imbaba.

As of July 2017, the UfM counted 21 officially recognized projects in the field of regional sustainable development. These projects are designed to show significant socio-economic impacts across the region, including in the areas of climate action, renewable energies, transportation, urban development, water, blue economy and the environment.

Transportation and urban development

• UPFI Sfax Taparura Project
• Development of the Bou Regreg valley
• Imbaba urban development project
• Jordanian rail network
• Completion of the central section of the Trans-Maghreb motorway axis
• LOGISMED training activities
• Motorway of the Sea (MoS) - Turkey-Italy-Tunisia project
• MoS OPTIMED IMPLEMENTATION - On the way to a new Mediterranean corridor: From the ports in the southeast to the ports in the northwest
• UPFI Urban Reconstruction Project in Jericho
• Holistic urban waste management project Izmir

Energy and climate protection measures

• Tafila wind farm
• Energy University by Schneider Electric , a virtual university
• SEMed framework for private projects in the field of renewable energies - SPREF

Water and the environment

• Capacity building program for water integrity in the Middle East and North Africa
• BlueGreen Med-CS
• MED RESCP - POST RIO +20: Promotion of models for Sustainability in Consumption and Production (SCP) and Resource Efficiency (RE) in the Mediterranean
• On the way to a Mediterranean water know-how platform
• Holistic environmental protection program for Lake Bizerter
• Manage and finance water management in the Mediterranean
• Project "A desalination plant for the Gaza Strip"
• PLASTIC-BUSTERS for a Mediterranean without waste

Institutions

Headquarters of the UfM: Royal Palace of Pedralbes, Barcelona, ​​Spain

Biennial summits of the member states are planned, each with a rotating presidency (modeled on the European Council ) to discuss issues such as energy, security, counter-terrorism, immigration and trade. The Mediterranean Union and the EU should work together and share some institutions. A common area to fight corruption, terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking is foreseen.

The chairmanship of the first session was taken over by Egypt as the first co-chairs for the southern neighbors and France for the European Union .

The UfM Co-Presidents, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy, and Nasser Judeh, Foreign Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, alongside the UfM General Secretary Fathallah Sijilmassi.

On November 4, 2008, the foreign ministers of the 43 member states agreed in Marseille on Barcelona to be the seat of the General Secretariat of the Mediterranean Union. The secretariat of the Mediterranean Union is set up in the former royal residence, the Palau Reial de Pedralbes . As the representative of the southern bank, Tunisia should have the right to propose the Secretary General. At a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of France, Spain, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan on January 5, 2010, the Jordanian Ahmed Masade was proposed as Secretary General. He started work in early March.

The General Secretary is supported by six deputies: three Europeans and three representatives from the southern neighbors, including one for Israel, so that the Arab League is represented as a full member of the UfM.

Deputy General Secretaries are:

• Lino Cardarelli (Italy), Corporate Development Department
• Panagiotis Roumeliotis (Greece), Energy Department
• Ambassador Celia Attard Pirotta (Malta) - Social and Civil Affairs Department
• Mehmet Yigit Alpogan (Turkey), responsible for traffic
• Ilan Chet (Israel), Higher Education and Research Department
• Rafiq al Husseini (Palestine), Water and Environment Department
• Ambassador Yigit Alpogan (Turkey) - Transport and Urban Development Department

The Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat was inaugurated in March 2010 at an official ceremony in Barcelona.

In 2017, the UfM secretariat had a staff of 60 people from over 20 countries of origin, including the permanent presence of high-ranking officials sent by the EU Commission, the EIB, the BERD and the CDC.

North-South co-chair system

In order to ensure the common sense of responsibility of the Union for the Mediterranean, the heads of state and government in Paris decided to entrust two countries, an EU state and one of the Mediterranean partner states, with the chairmanship of the Union for the Mediterranean. The 27 EU countries agreed that the EU co-presidency “had to be compatible with the external representative tasks of the European Union in accordance with the provisions of the current agreement”, and the Mediterranean partner countries decided to mutually choose a country which would co-chair for a non-renewable period of two years.

From 2008 to 2012 France and Egypt held the first co-chairmanship of the UfM.

In 2012 the secretariat announced that Egypt would be replaced by Jordan and France by the European Union. This change, which took place in September 2012, was decided at a meeting of the high representatives in Barcelona on June 28th.

North presidency	South Chair
France (July 2008 - March 2012)	Egypt (July 2008 - June 2012)
European Union (March 2012 -)	Jordan (June 2012 -)

Meeting of the high officials of the UfM

The meeting of the high officials of the UfM, consisting of ambassadors and high officials for foreign affairs, who are individually appointed by the 43 UfM countries, takes place at regular intervals several times a year, at the headquarters of the UfM Secretariat in Barcelona or in one of the UfM member states. The task of these meetings is to discuss regional topics, strategies and measures of the organization as well as to approve submitted projects. Every country has equal voting rights and all decisions are made by consensus. In addition to these meetings, there are also other UfM meetings, in particular ministerial meetings to set the Mediterranean agenda on specific issues such as the environment and climate change, the digital economy, the role of women in society, transport or industry.

office

The Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat was inaugurated on March 4, 2010 at an official ceremony in Barcelona.

The function of the permanent secretariat lies in the operational follow-up of the sector-specific ministerial meetings by reviewing and monitoring the implementation of specific projects for the Euro-Mediterranean region as well as by looking for financing partners for these projects and coordinating various dialogue platforms.

The foreign ministers of the Euro-Mediterranean area decided at the Marseille conference in November 2008 to house the secretariat in the Royal Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona . In addition, an agreement was reached on the structure of this new key institution and the countries of origin of the first members of the Secretariat:

• The Secretary General is elected by consensus and must come from one of the non-EU countries. He is elected for a 3-year term that can be extended for 3 additional years. The first General Secretary was the Jordanian Ahmad Khalaf Masa'deh , former Ambassador for Jordan in the European Union, Belgium, Norway and Luxembourg and Minister for Public Sector Reform from 2004 to 2005. He resigned after a year. In July 2011, the Moroccan diplomat Youssef Amrani succeeded him. When he was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister by the government of Benkiran, his compatriot, the Moroccan Ambassador Fathallah Sijilmassi , former ambassador to the European Union (2003-2004) and France (2005-2009), took over the post of Secretary General. Fathallah Sijilmassi is an officer of the Legion of Honor and senior officer of the National Order of Merit of the Republic of France.

The Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat was inaugurated in March 2010 at an official ceremony in Barcelona.

In 2017, the UfM secretariat had a staff of 60 people from over 20 countries of origin, including the permanent presence of high-ranking officials sent by the EU Commission, the EIB, the BERD and the CDC.

Member States

Flags of the UfM member countries in front of the Royal Palace of Pedralbes in Barcelona.

The Union for the Mediterranean consists of all EU countries as well as the Mediterranean countries that are involved in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED), also known as the Barcelona Process , and Jordan and Mauritania.

The original plans only included those EU countries that also border the Mediterranean Sea ( France , Spain , Italy , Malta , Greece , Slovenia , Cyprus ); all other EU states should only have observer status. However, this plan was rejected by the northern EU states, in particular by Germany, and therefore rejected in March 2008.

Representatives from 43 countries were present at the summit meeting to establish the Union in July 2008. Only Libya, which already had observer status in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, stayed away from the meeting in Paris.

After intensive negotiations with Israel, the Arab League is an observer without voting rights and can therefore participate in all meetings.

Country	membership	population	Area in km²	undersigned representative
Egypt	ENP , EUROMED	75,400,000	1,001,449	Muhammad Husni Mubarak
Albania	EU candidate , CEFTA	3,127,263	28,748	Sali Berisha
Algeria	ENP, EUROMED	33.333.216	2,381,740	Abd al-Aziz Bouteflika
Belgium	EU , EUROMED	10,584,534	30,528	Karel De Gucht
Bosnia and Herzegovina	CEFTA	4,400,126	51.129	Haris Silajdžić
Bulgaria	EU, EUROMED	7,679,290	110,912	Georgi Parvanov
Denmark	EU, EUROMED	5,457,415	43.094	Not so Fogh Rasmussen
Germany	EU, EUROMED	82.314.906	357.050	Angela Merkel
Estonia	EU, EUROMED	1,342,409	45.226	Andrus Ansip
Finland	EU, EUROMED	5,289,128	338.145	Tarja Halonen & Matti Vanhanen
France	EU, EUROMED	63.392.140	674.843	Nicolas Sarkozy
Greece	EU, EUROMED	11.125.179	131,990	Kostas Karamanlis
Ireland	EU, EUROMED	4,239,848	70.273	Brian Cowen
Israel	ENP, EUROMED	7,184,000	20,770	Ehud Olmert
Italy	EU, EUROMED	59.131.287	301,318	Silvio Berlusconi
Jordan	ENP, EUROMED	5,924,000	89,342	Nadir adh-Dhahabi
Croatia	EU	4,513,458	56,592	Stjepan Mesic
Latvia	EU, EUROMED	2,281,305	64,589	Valdis Zatlers
Lebanon	ENP, EUROMED	4,099,000	10,452	Michel Sulaiman
Libya (observer)	ENP, EUROMED observer	6,036,914	1,759,540
Lithuania	EU, EUROMED	3,373,991	65,303	Gediminas Kirkilas
Luxembourg	EU, EUROMED	476.200	2,586	Jean-Claude Juncker
Malta	EU, EUROMED	404.962	316	Lawrence Gonzi
Morocco	ENP, EUROMED	33,757,175	446,550	Moulay Rachid
Mauritania		3,069,000	1,030,700	Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
Monaco		32,000	2	Prince Albert II.
Montenegro	EU candidate , CEFTA	622,000	13,812	Milo Đukanović
Netherlands	EU, EUROMED	16,372,715	41,526	Jan Peter Balkenende
Austria	EU, EUROMED	8,316,487	83,871	Alfred Gusenbauer
Palestine	ENP, EUROMED	4,018,332	6,020	Mahmoud Abbas
Poland	EU, EUROMED	38.116.486	312,683	Lech Kaczyński
Portugal	EU, EUROMED	10,599,095	92.391	José Sócrates
Romania	EU, EUROMED	21,565,119	238.391	Traian Băsescu
Sweden	EU, EUROMED	9,142,817	449.964	Fredrik Reinfeldt
Slovakia	EU, EUROMED	5,396,168	49,037	Robert Fico
Slovenia	EU, EUROMED	2,013,597	20,273	Janez Janša
Spain	EU, EUROMED	45.116.894	506.030	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Syria	ENP, EUROMED	20,314,747	185.180	Bashar al-Assad
Czech Republic	EU, EUROMED	10,306,709	78,866	Alexandr Vondra
Tunisia	ENP, EUROMED	10,102,000	163,610	Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali
Turkey	EU candidate , EUROMED	76,667,864	814,578	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Hungary	EU, EUROMED	10,066,158	93.030	Ferenc Gyurcsány
United Kingdom	EU, EUROMED	60,587,300	244,820	Gordon Brown
Cyprus	EU, EUROMED	766,400	9,251	Dimitris Christofias

Other Euro-Mediterranean organizations and institutions

The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly

The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) is not a new institution within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The EMPA was founded on December 3, 2003 in Naples by the foreign ministers of the Euro-Mediterranean area and held its first plenary session from March 22 to 23, 2004 in Athens . EMPA brings together parliamentarians from the Euro-Mediterranean countries and has four standing committees on the following topics:

• Political affairs, security and human rights
• Economic, financial and social affairs and education
• Promotion of quality of life, exchange of people and culture
• Women's rights in the Euro-Mediterranean countries

EMPA also has an ad hoc committee on energy and the environment. Since the founding of the Union for the Mediterranean, the role of EMPA has further consolidated as it is seen as the “legal parliamentary expression of the Union”.

Several institutions work closely with the UfM ( Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean , Assembly of Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Authorities, Anna Lindh Foundation, European Economic and Social Commissions).

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PV-UfM) is a regional parliamentary organization that brings together the delegations of the parliaments of the UfM states. It meets at least once a year in plenary session and has 280 members, who are represented in equal parts from members of the southern and northern Mediterranean countries.

The Assembly of Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Authorities (ARLEM), founded in 2010, represents the local and regional representatives of the European Union and its Mediterranean partners. It represents the territorial dimension at the heart of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, commonly known under its own designation Anna Lindh Foundation, has the task of intercultural dialogue in the center of the Euro-Mediterranean region and to promote the appreciation between cultures as well as the civil society here to support.

Euro-Mediterranean regional and local assembly

At the Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers' Conference, which took place in Marseille in November 2008, the ministers welcomed the proposal by the EU Committee of the Regions to set up an assembly of Euro-Mediterranean regional and local authorities (French abbreviation ARLEM ). The aim of this assembly is to build a bridge between the local and regional representatives of the 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean and the EU institutions.

The EU participants are made up of the members of the EU Committee of the Regions and representatives of other EU institutions that participate in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The participants of the Mediterranean partner states form representatives of regional and local authorities who are appointed by the respective state governments. After its official creation, ARLEM held its first plenary meeting on January 31, 2010 in Barcelona. The co-chairmanship of ARLEM is taken over by the chairman of the EU Committee of the Regions Luc Van den Brande and the mayor of the Moroccan city of Al Hoceima, Mohammed Boudra.

Anna Lindh Foundation

The Anna Lindh Foundation for Intercultural Dialogue , based in Alexandria , Egypt , was founded in April 2005. The foundation is a network for civil society organizations in the Euro-Mediterranean countries with the aim of promoting intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

At the Paris Summit, it was agreed that the Anna Lindh Foundation, together with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations , would be entrusted with managing the cultural aspects of the Union of the Mediterranean.

In September 2010 the Anna Lindh Foundation published a report called EuroMed Intercultural Trends 2010 . This assessment of the mutual perception and the visibility of the Union for the Mediterranean in the entire region is based on a public survey by the Gallup Institute, in which 13,000 people from UfM countries took part.

Partnerships with other organizations and Euro-Mediterranean institutions

As a platform for dialogue and cooperation, the Union for the Mediterranean maintains strategic partnerships with global, regional and sub-regional organizations. Over the past five years, UfM has been able to consolidate its relationships with important stakeholders by signing various letters of intent:

• CIHEAM (International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies) - January 8, 2015
• EESC (European Economic and Social Committee - European Economic and Social Committee ) - January 13, 2015
• Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness - January 26, 2015
• AFAEMME (Association of Organizations of Mediterranean Businesswomen) - February 11, 2015
• Mediterranean International Cooperation and Local Development Agency - February 16, 2015
• British University in Egypt - March 14, 2015
• EMUNI University (Euro-Mediterranean University) - April 8, 2015
• IRU ( International Road Transport Union ) - April 10, 2015
• IPEMED (Institut de Prospective économique du monde Méditerranéen - Institute for Economic Forecasting for the Mediterranean) - May 4, 2015
• UNIDO - May 22, 2015
• BUSINESSMED - June 9, 2015
• BSEC (Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation - Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation ) - June 18, 2015
• UNESCO - October 14, 2015
• CETMO (Center for Transportation Studies for the Western Mediterranean - Center for Transportation Studies in the Western Mediterranean) - November 26, 2015
• Energy Charter Secretariat - November 26, 2015
• EMUNI University - February 1, 2016
• International Energy Agency - February 17, 2016
• Moroccan Cooperation Service - March 8, 2016
• UN-HABITAT - April 5, 2016
• Local council of the Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region - June 22, 2016
• Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation - July 29, 2016
• ANIMA Investment Network - September 7th, 2016
• Interacademic Group on Development Promotion - September 29, 2016
• IEMed (European Institute of the Mediterranean) - January 20, 2017
• SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) - January 23, 2017
• UN Office for South-South Cooperation - January 24, 2017
• Women for Africa Foundation - January 24, 2017
• AGADIR Technical Department - January 24, 2017
• Permanent Secretariat MENBO - March 10, 2017
• EMUNI University - March 14, 2017
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation - April 10, 2017
• World Alliance for Efficient Solutions - May 24, 2017
• SDSN Mediterranean - June 1, 2017
• Mediterranean Institute of Water - June 8, 2017
• Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes - June 20, 2017
• IEMed - July 20, 2017

See also

• Eastern partnership
• European neighborhood policy

literature

• Benjamin Heese: The Union for the Mediterranean - Two steps forward, one step back? Lit, Münster [u. a.] 2009, ISBN 978-3-643-10262-1 (= region, nation, Europe , volume 59).

Web links

Commons : Union for the Mediterranean  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) (Arabic, English, French)
• Union for the Mediterranean (EUROMED) on the official website of the European External Action Service . The most important official documents on the Mediterranean Union can be found there in French, Arabic and English.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Union for the Mediterranean (EUROMED) , website of the External Action Service of the European Union, accessed on October 27, 2014.
   The Union for the Mediterranean , website of the Federal Foreign Office, as of April 17, 2014.
   Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PV -UfM) , website of the German Bundestag, as of August 2013
   Union for the Mediterranean , website of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), accessed on October 27, 2014.
2. ^ Union for the Mediterranean. In: Current background. Federal Agency for Civic Education, July 14, 2008.
   Announcement by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Federal Government's strategy for the internationalization of science and research of the guidelines for the funding program "International Cooperation in Science and Research - Union for the Mediterranean" , version from 16 January 2012
3. ^ Nzz.ch: Symbols at the christening of the “Mediterranean Union” , July 12, 2008
4. ^ EurActiv 5 March 2010: Union for the Mediterranean opens office .
5. ^ Outre-Terre , 2009/3
6. ↑ http://www.lemonde.fr/l-europe-al-heure-de-la-presidence-francaise/article/2008/07/11/le-projet-d-union-pour-la-mediterranee-conjugue -ambitions-et-incertitudes_1072518_1058958.html
7. ↑ Liberté Algérie : Al-Kadhafi torpille le projet de Sarkozy ( Memento of the original of June 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (French) 
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Joint declaration of the Paris summit for the Mediterranean. Paris, July 13, 2008 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/er/101847.pdf
9. ^ Stefan Simons: Sarkozy's "Club Med". In: Der Spiegel . July 13, 2008, accessed May 24, 2020 . 
10. ↑ Barcelona Declaration and Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. November 25, 1995, accessed January 30, 2020 . 
11. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Final Statement MARSEILLE, 3-4 NOVEMBER 2008. (PDF) Retrieved on March 11, 2008 . 
12. ↑ ^{a b c} Lic. Naxalli Calderón Hernández: “EL PROCESO DE BARCELONA: Unión por el Mediterráneo y el Conflicto ÁrabeIsraelí. Elementos históricos. " (PDF) Accessed in 2016 . 
13. ^ Ediciones El País: La cumbre de la Unión por el Mediterráneo se celebrará en Barcelona en junio de 2010 . In: El País . September 10, 2009, ISSN  1134-6582 ( elpais.com [accessed April 27, 2018]).
14. ↑ El Periódico de Aragón: El conflicto arabe-israelí obliga a aplazar la cumbre de Barcelona . In: El Periódico de Aragón . ( elperiodicodearagon.com [accessed April 27, 2018]).
15. ↑ ^{a b} elEconomista.es: La UpM aprueba hoy sus estatutos y lanza la capitalidad mediterránea de Barcelona - EcoDiario.es . ( eleconomista.es [accessed April 27, 2018]).
16. ↑ La Unión por el Mediterráneo todavía está lejos de servir como motor de paz . ( palestinalibre.org [accessed April 27, 2018]).
17. ↑ Iván Martín: Las prioridades de la Presidencia española de la UE en el Mediterráneo: ser y deber ser (ARI). December 9, 2009, accessed December 9, 2009 . 
18. ↑ El Periódico de Aragón: El conflicto arabe-israelí obliga a aplazar la cumbre de Barcelona . In: El Periódico de Aragón . ( elperiodicodearagon.com [accessed April 27, 2018]).
19. ↑ Unidad Editorial Internet: La Unión por el Mediterráneo no logra una estrategia común sobre el agua | Ciencia | elmundo.es. Retrieved April 27, 2018 . 
20. ↑ Marc Bassets: Obama: “Sea cual sea el Gobierno, España seguirá siendo un aliado sólido” . In: El País . July 10, 2016, ISSN  1134-6582 ( elpais.com [accessed April 27, 2018]).
21. ^ Ediciones El País: España da por imposible la Cumbre Mediterránea de Barcelona . In: El País . November 10, 2010, ISSN  1134-6582 ( elpais.com [accessed April 27, 2018]).
22. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110719150143/http://www.la-moncloa.es/IDIOMAS/9/Gobierno/News/2010/15112010UnionMediterraneanSummit.htm. Accessed April 27, 2018 (English). 
23. ↑ El embajador de la UE en Marruecos . In: La Vanguardia . ( lavanguardia.es [accessed April 27, 2018]).
24. ↑ EUobserver , January 27, 2011: Mediterranean Union chief resigns as Egypt unrest continues (English).
25. ↑ http://ufmsecretariat.org/the-desalination-facility-for-the-gaza-strip-project/
26. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from February 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
27. ↑ http://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2009/07/29/la-difficile-relance-de-l-union-pour-la-mediterranee_1223764_3210.html
28. ↑ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=FR&reference=P7-TA-2010-0192
29. ↑ http://www.deputes-socialistes.eu/relancer-lunion-pour-la-mediterranee-est-une-priorite-strategique/
30. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from August 17, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
31. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from July 28, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
32. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
33. ↑ http://ufmsecretariat.org/fr/the-desalination-facility-for-the-gaza-strip-project/
34. ↑ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/dmed/dv/5_ufm-projects_stateofplay/5_ufm-projects_stateofplayen.pdf
35. ↑ http://ufmsecretariat.org/two-new-regional-projects-labeled-by-ufm-member-countries/
36. ↑ http://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/8883/fathallah-sijilmassi-tete-l-upm.html
37. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated February 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
38. ↑ http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/egypt/press_corner/all_news/news/2013/20130530_en.pdf
39. ↑ http://ufmsecretariat.org/ufm-launches-logismedta-project-to-promote-competitiveness-and-job-creation-in-the-mediterranean-logistics-industry/
40. ^ UfM Ministerial Conference on Employment and Labor, Jordan . ( europa.eu [accessed January 11, 2018]).
41. ^ UfM Ministerial Declaration on Energy. (PDF) Retrieved December 2016 . 
42. ↑ 27 April 2017, Valetta, Malta - Ministerial Meeting of the European Union and Mediterranean Water Ministries . In: SWIM and HORIZON 2020 . ( swim-h2020.eu [accessed January 11, 2018]).
43. ↑ Sustainable Urban Development in the Euro-Mediterranean region: UfM Ministers agree on a structured framework for enhanced regional cooperation | EU neighbors. Accessed January 11, 2018 . 
44. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/3eme-conference-ministerielle-upm-sur-le-renforcement-du-role-des-femmes.html
45. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/2eme-conference-ministerielle-upm-sur-les-transports.html
46. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/conference-ministerielle-upm-sur-lenergie-11-decembre-2013-bruxelles.html
47. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/9eme-conference-ministerielle-de-lupm-sur-la-cooperation-industrielle-euro-mediterraneenne.html
48. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/1ere-conference-ministerielle-de-lupm-sur-lenvironnement-et-le-changement-climatique.html
49. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/conference-ministerielle-union-pour-la-mediterranee-sur-leconomie-numerique-et-lacces.html
50. ↑ http://ufmsecretariat.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015-11-17-declaration-on-blue-economy_fr.pdf
51. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from January 25, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
52. ↑ http://www.casareal.es/ES/Actividades/Paginas/actividades_discursos_detalle.aspx?data=5425
53. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
54. ↑ Skills for Success® | AMIDEAST. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on October 12, 2017 ; accessed on January 11, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
55. ^ Joint Declaration following the Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting in Jordan co-chaired by Commissioner Hahn - European Commission. June 2, 2016, accessed January 11, 2018 . 
56. ↑ UfM actively involved in MedCOP Climate Conference 2016 in Tangier | EU neighbors. Accessed January 11, 2018 . 
57. ↑ Third Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) High-Level Conference on Women Empowerment on October 10-11, 2016 in Barcelona | capacity4dev.eu. Accessed January 11, 2018 . 
58. ↑ UfM Regional Dialogue on Women Empowerment - Progress Report  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
59. ↑ ThomieVlachogianni: Integrated Program for Protection of the Lake Bizerte against Pollution '. Retrieved January 11, 2018 (UK English). 
60. ↑ United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: Admitted IGO. Retrieved January 11, 2018 . 
61. ↑ 14/11: UfM launches two major Mediterranean initiatives at COP22. - IEMed. Retrieved January 11, 2018 (Spanish). 
62. ^ Mogherini urges greater cooperation and integration in the Mediterranean
63. ↑ Working for sustainable and inclusive development: Sweden to work with Union for the Mediterranean in support of regional integration | EU neighbors. Accessed January 11, 2018 . 
64. ↑ Madrid Declaration. (PDF) Retrieved April 15, 2018 . 
65. ↑ Mediterranean in action: UfM report 2016 shows strengthened regional commitment | EU neighbors. Accessed January 11, 2018 . 
66. ↑ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/note/join/2014/457129/EXPO-AFET_NT(2014)457129_FR.pdf
67. ↑ Tages-Anzeiger : Concrete Projects for the Mediterranean Union ( Memento of August 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) of July 13, 2008.
68. ↑ EurActiv, July 13, 2009: Start for Desertec .
69. ↑ Focus : Much applause for the birth of the Mediterranean Union on July 13, 2008.
70. ↑ Tagesschau : “A good start” (tagesschau.de archive) from July 13, 2008.
71. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/conference-ministerielle-upm-sur-lenergie-11-decembre-2013-bruxelles.html
72. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/9eme-conference-ministerielle-de-lupm-sur-la-cooperation-industrielle-euro-mediterraneenne.html
73. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/1ere-conference-ministerielle-de-lupm-sur-lenvironnement-et-le-changement-climatique.html
74. ↑ http://archives.dimed.gouv.fr/actualite/conference-ministerielle-union-pour-la-mediterranee-sur-leconomie-numerique-et-lacces.html
75. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
76. ↑ http://www.egrejob.eu/regione_t/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/UfM-Union-for-the-Mediterranean.pdf
77. ↑ http://allafrica.com/stories/201309190274.html
78. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from November 28, 2014) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
79. ↑ http://www.club-jade.fr/index.php/nos-travaux/columns-2/item/8582-lunion-pour-la-mediterranee-une-union-en-devenir
80. ↑ Final Declaration of the 12th Plenary Sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean . In: House of Representatives . May 29, 2016 ( chambredesrepresentants.ma [accessed April 27, 2018]).
81. ^ Remarks by Federica Mogherini at the press conference following the Ministerial meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean - EEAS - European External Action Service - European Commission. Accessed April 27, 2018 (English). 
82. ^ All UfM Projects and initiatives - Union for the Mediterranean - UfM . In: Union for the Mediterranean - UfM . ( ufmsecretariat.org [accessed April 27, 2018]).
83. ↑ MedCoast4BG - Med Coasts for Blue Growth - Union for the Mediterranean - UfM . In: Union for the Mediterranean - UfM . ( ufmsecretariat.org [accessed April 27, 2018]).
84. ↑ African Manager: Tunisia: UfM to hold Mediterranean Economic Conference September 17-18 | African manager . In: African Manager . September 9, 2013 ( africanmanager.com [accessed April 27, 2018]).
85. ^ European Committee of the Regions: Women's empowerment in the Mediterranean Region. January 24, 2018, accessed April 27, 2018 . 
86. ↑ Mediterranean dairy products | EDILE. Accessed April 27, 2018 (English). 
87. ↑ EMIPO - EUROMED Invest Promotion & Observatory. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on June 24, 2016 ; accessed in 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
88. ↑ http://ufmsecretariat.org/fr/la-tunisie-et-le-portugal-appellent-a-renforcer-le-soutien-a-la-cooperation-regionale-developpee-dans-le-cadre-de-lupm /
89. ↑ http://eeas.europa.eu/enp/documents/2015/151118_joint-communication_review-of-the-enp_en.pdf
90. ↑ http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/internacional/sus-socios-del-sur-lanzan-mensaje-unidad-firmeza-ante-crisis-region-mediterranea-4704845
91. ↑ http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/international/doc/euromed/ufm-transport-conference-14-11-2013-declaration_fr.pdf
92. ↑ http://www.un.org/fr/documents/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/124
93. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from June 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
94. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated June 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
95. ↑ http://eeas.europa.eu/enp/documents/2015/151118_joint-communication_review-of-the-enp_en.pdf
96. ↑ Mediterranean in action: UfM report 2016 shows strengthened regional commitment | EU neighbors. Accessed April 27, 2018 (English). 
97. ↑ Basler Zeitung : Kouchner: France and Egypt lead Mediterranean Union  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.   dated July 13, 2008.
98. ↑ ^{a b} Märkische Oderzeitung: Barcelona becomes seat of the Mediterranean Union , November 5, 2008, p. 4. Website of the MOZ
99. ↑ nzz.ch: Barcelona is to become the seat of the Mediterranean Union , from November 4, 2008.
100. ↑ Berliner Zeitung of November 5, 2008: LEXICON: Pedralbes-Palast
101. ↑ EurActiv , Jan 7, 2010: Arabs to lead Mediterranean Union
102. ^ EurActiv 5 March 2010: Union for the Mediterranean opens office .
103. ↑ http://www.lesechos.fr/04/11/2008/lesechos.fr/300306285_union-pour-la-mediterranee---accord-global-sur-barcelone--le-role-de-la-ligue- arabe-et-d-israel.htm
104. ↑ ^{a b} ue2008.fr. Retrieved May 28, 2018 . 
105. ^ UfM: Jordan to hold co-presidency of south Med from Sept. - Politics - ANSAMed.it. Retrieved May 28, 2018 . 
106. ↑ Mediterranean in action: UfM report 2016 shows strengthened regional commitment | EU neighbors. Retrieved May 28, 2018 . 
107. ↑ Une stratégie nouvelle à l'égard d'un voisinage en mutation. (PDF) Retrieved May 5, 2011 . 
108. ↑ ^{a b c} JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT. (PDF) Retrieved March 27, 2014 . 
109. ↑ La réunion ministérielle du Dialogue 5 + 5 souligne le rôle clé de l'UpM dans la promotion de la coopération régionale en Méditerranée - Union pour la Méditerranée - UpM . In: Union pour la Méditerranée - UpM . May 22, 2014 ( ufmsecretariat.org [accessed May 28, 2018]).
110. ↑ Conference interparlementaire sur la politique étrangère et de sécurité commune (PESC) et sur la politique de sécurité et de défense commune (PSDC). (PDF) (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on January 27, 2016 ; accessed on March 4, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
111. ↑ Final Declaration of the 12th Plenary Sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean . In: House of Representatives . May 29, 2016 ( chambredesrepresentants.ma [accessed May 28, 2018]).
112. ^ Remarks by Federica Mogherini at the press conference following the Ministerial meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean - EEAS - European External Action Service - European Commission. Retrieved May 28, 2018 . 
113. ↑ Swiss Embassy in Cairo - key data
114. ↑ Turkish Institute for Statistics: BYıllara, Yaş Grubu ve Cinsiyete Göre Nüfus, 1935–2013 , accessed on October 11, 2014
115. ↑ African Manager: Tunisia: UfM to hold Mediterranean Economic Conference September 17-18 | African manager . In: African Manager . September 9, 2013 ( africanmanager.com [accessed May 28, 2018]).
116. ↑ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/paufm/paufm_fr.html
117. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from March 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
118. ↑ http://annalindhfoundation.be/fr/a-propos/mission-de-la-fal/
119. ↑ Activity Report UfM 2015. (PDF) Accessed June 6, 2016 . 
120. ↑ Mediterranean dairy products | EDILE. Retrieved May 28, 2018 . 
121. ↑ ue2008.fr. Retrieved May 28, 2018 . 
122. ↑ The homepage was originally operated by the European Commission and has since been taken over by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The abbreviation “EUROMED” originally stood for the Euro-Mediterranean partnership .