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Union for the Mediterranean
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The Union for the Mediterranean , previously known as the "Mediterranean Union" , is a community initiated on 13 July 2008 by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as a development of the Euromediterranean Partnership. The act unites all EU members with several non-EU countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona, Spain.
The idea was originally proposed as an alternative to Turkish membership in the European Union, whereby Turkey would instead form the backbone of the new Mediterranean Union.
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Encyclopedia
The Union for the Mediterranean , previously known as the "Mediterranean Union" , is a community initiated on 13 July 2008 by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as a development of the Euromediterranean Partnership. The act unites all EU members with several non-EU countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona, Spain.
The idea was originally proposed as an alternative to Turkish membership in the European Union, whereby Turkey would instead form the backbone of the new Mediterranean Union. However, with modifications to the plan in March 2008, membership was no longer seen as an alternative to joining the European Union, and instead considered more as a stepping stone into the EU. Once Turkey was given a guarantee in March 2008 that the project would not be an alternative to Turkish EU membership, it accepted the invitation to participate.
History
Proposal
The proposal was originally made as part of Sarkozy's election campaign. Following his electoral victory, the idea was reiterated, with plans being drawn up. Despite the potential division it could cause to the Arab world, with part being united with Europe, and part separated, President Sarkozy saw the initiative as a way of promoting peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours. It was hoped that an institutional core will be established by the end of the French presidency of the European Union in 2008. On 23 October 2007 Sarkozy invited all Mediterranean leaders to a summit in France to take place in June 2008 where they would "lay the foundations of a political, economic and cultural union founded on the principles of strict equality."
Criticism of the proposal at these early stages included concern about the relationship between the proposed MU and the existing Euromediterranean Partnership, which might reduce the effectiveness of EU policies in the region and allow the southern countries to play on the rivalries to escape unpopular EU policies. There were similar economic concerns in the loss of civil society and similar human rights based policies. Duplication of policies from the EU's police and judicial area was a further worry.
Modifications
At the start of 2008 Sarkozy began to modify his plans for the Mediterranean Union due to widespread opposition from other states in the EU and the Commission (see "Reactions" below). At the end of February of that year France's minister for European affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, stated that "there is no Mediterranean Union" but rather a "Union for the Mediterranean" which would only be "completing and enriching" to existing EU structures and policy in the region. Following a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel it was agreed that the project would include all EU member states, not just those bordering the Mediterranean, and built upon the existing Barcelona process. Turkey also agreed to take part in the project following a guarantee from France that it was no longer intended as an alternative to EU membership. The UM was launched on the 13 July-14 July 2008.
Institutions and aims
The Mediterranean Union would be a looser grouping than the EU. Sarkozy called on the Mediterranean people to "do the same thing, with the same goal and the same method" as the European Union, though he stated it would not be based on the EU model. When the project was modified in 2008, many proposals were dropped, such as a Mediterranean Investment Bank (modeled on its European counterpart). Instead it would focus on more practical projects.
Under the original plans, members would form a regular council under a rotating presidency (similar to the current EU model) dealing with energy, security, counter-terrorism, immigration and trade. French nuclear power expertise would be exchanged for North African gas reserves. The Mediterranean and European Unions would work together and share some institutions, including a common judicial area to fight corruption, terrorism, organised crime and people smuggling. The predecessor to the Union for the Mediterranean, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was seen as a failure by some, because it included all EU members, which is considered to have disctracted from focusing on purely Mediterranean issues. The original "Mediterranean Union", which would have included only Mediterranean states, was hoped to avoid this situation by having a clearer direction. However, when the Mediterranean Union was modified to become the Union for the Mediterranean, it was decided that all EU members would be involved.
The Mediterranean Solar Plan is a project of Union for the Mediterranean to install concentrating solar power in the deserts
Members
The Union consists of all the EU states and those countries on the Mediterranean rim or those which are participating in the Euromediterranean Partnership. The idea is to form economic/political connections between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
The original proposals would have excluded the EU states not bordering the Mediterranean. All other EU states apart from France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Malta, Greece, and Cyprus, would have been silent observers which angered those countries who would not be involved, such as Germany, as it did not approve of EU funds being used in a project over which it had no influence.
| Flag | State with observer status | Population | Area
km² | Access to the Mediterranean Sea |
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| Libya | | | Yes |
Reactions
European Union
The project is supported by Spain, Italy, and Greece. However the EU itself and Germany have been more cautious about the idea: The European Commission has stated that such initiatives promoting regional co-operation are "good", however they say the project should build on existing structures. That was in reference to the Barcelona process which the Commission noted as being "successful". It fears Sarkozy's project would undermine the work of the Barcelona process. The Commission and EU capitals would like to know more about the details of the project.
Sarkozy angered the Maltese government when, outlining his proposal of a Mediterranean Union in Toulon during his 2007 presidential election campaign, he listed France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus as potential members of the new entity but forgot to mention Malta. The Maltese Ambassador to France wrote to Sarkozy expressing the Maltese government’s regret at his mistake. She also reminded the then UMP Presidential candidate about Malta’s role in hosting the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. For his part, Sarkozy immediately wrote back to apologise, reaffirming his opinion of Malta's importance in the Mediterranean region. As Minister for the Interior, Sarkozy immediately tried to make up by inviting Malta to the Frontex Exercise, paying all the expenses tied to Malta’s participation.
Arab League
With a population of 187,600,088 the Arab States make up 25% of the total population of the Union, with several stances for and against the Union.
Morocco and Tunisia have supported the proposal.
The Libyan government was concerned by the proposal and sent its foreign minister Abdel Rahman Shalgham to both Tunisia and Algeria to discuss the matter with their presidents prior to the arrival of Sarkozy to the region. The same source mentioned that according to well-informed sources the Libyan government believes it to be a mistake by France to publicize this project before considering the opinions of the countries of North Africa, while calling attention to the concerns of Gaddafi that France is imposing hegemony over the countries of the Arab Maghreb Union under the guise of Mediterranean cooperation.
On 11 June 2008 Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia met in Tripoli to discuss the inclusion of other Arab League members, in response to the German lobbying to include all of the EU.
During the French president's visit to Lebanon, the Lebanese president Michel Suleiman announced publicly that Lebanon supports the proposed union.
On 12 July 2008, the Arab states held a small meeting in Paris with the Arab Secretary general to discuss some proposals related to the MU articles and acts. The Arab League's official reaction to the Union was sceptical. Secretary General Amr Moussa suggested that regional problems in the Middle East must be considered before any form of the Mediterranean Union could proceed; for example the creation of the Middle East as a Nuclear weapons free zone, including nations such as Israel and Iran. Calls were also made for Israel to apply and respond to rulings under international laws against the country, such as about 70 UN resolutions in the past 60 years.
A summit hold on 13 July in Paris served to launch the Union officially. It was hosted by Sarkozy and attended by the heads of government of 43 states, excepting the kings of Morocco and Jordan, who sent senior representatives. The only head of state to stay away from the meeting was Muammar al-Gaddafi. Press reports underlined the "love" at the meeting, as it made sit in the same room leaders as Bashar Assad, Ehud Olmert and Mahmud Abbas
East Mediterranean
Israeli president Shimon Peres views Sarkozy's suggestion very positively, but Turkey rejected the proposal as an alternative to EU membership. When Turkey was offered a guarantee in March 2008 that it would not be an alternative to the EU, Turkey accepted the invitation to participate.
Opposition
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a cautious response to the initiative and emphasized that it should not compete with the EU or the Barcelona process. In December 2007, German chancellor Angela Merkel criticised Sarkozy's plans, saying that they risked splitting and threatening the core of the EU. In particular she criticised that just a small number of EU countries, excluding the others, would form the union with EU funds, stating that "this could release explosive forces in the union I would not like." When Slovenia took the EU presidency in 2008, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša added to the criticism stating: "We do not need a duplication of institutions, or institutions that would compete with EU, institutions that would cover part of the EU and part of the neighbourhood."
Modifications
In response to criticism from his European partners, Sarkozy had to modify his original plans for the union. Disagreements with Germany led to a mini summit between the two leaders being delayed three months until June 2008, however Sarkozy still plans to hold a summit on 13 July involving the relevant EU states and the southern countries. This angered many EU countries outside as the rest of the EU would only be invited the day after to sign off the deal.
See also
External links
- Website of Barcelona's candidacy to serve as headquarters. Includes information on the headquarters building
- (18 mars 2008) de Bernard Kouchner au sujet de l’Union pour la Méditerranée
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