From the (French) Mediterranean Union to the (European) Barcelona Process: The ‘Union for the Mediterranean’ as Part of the European Neighbourhood Policy

Abstract: The Mediterranean remains a crucial area for the EU. Among other things, it is the Union’s gateway to the crucial oil of the Gulf states, therefore political stability in the region is vital. This paper looks at EU attempts to forge a relationship with the Mediterranean through particularly the ENP. It concludes with the realisation that it reamins a ‘region under construction’, and offers some insights gained from an analysis of successful interregionalism offered by the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) process, and highlights some common as well as diverging features between these two forms of cooperation.