Press Release: ‘Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean’: Ministers meet in Marseille to endorse its working modalities and to agree priorities for 2009

Foreign Ministers from all 43 states of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership meet in Marseille on 3-4 November to endorse plans for the mandate, structure and institutional governance of the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean. The initiative, launched at the Paris Summit of 13th July, aims at injecting a renewed political momentum into the EU’s relations with the Mediterranean through the reinforcement of shared ownership and the achievement of wider visibility through a far-reaching programme of projects. To these ends, Ministers will examine the details of the Commission's proposals for the functioning of the co-presidency as well as the composition, seat and funding of the Secretariat. In efforts to advance the regional integration process, Ministers will also agree on priorities for the 2009 working programme.

ESO: Background information: Union for the Mediterranean http://www.europeansources.info/record/union-for-the-mediterranean/

Council of the European Union: PRES/08/314: Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, Marseilles, 3-4 November 2008 Final declaration http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/misc/103733.pdf

Council of the European Union: Press Release: S354/08 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/discours/103718.pdf

BBC News, 4.11.08: Barcelona to be HQ for Med union http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7708343.stm

France24, 2.11.08: Foreign ministers to tackle a troubled union http://www.france24.com/en/20081102-foreign-ministers-meet-troubleshooting-talks-mediterranean-union&navi=EUROPE

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