Israeli policy perspectives on the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership in the context of EU enlargement

Article is part of a special issue on Euro-Mediterranean relations after September 11.

Article abstract:

This contribution seeks to explain why Israel is having second thoughts about its participation in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) and to explore the consequences of this reappraisal. Never a major champion of the Barcelona Process, Israel has increasing reasons for being disappointed about how things have evolved. Independently of this, the future EU membership of up to 13 more countries (including Turkey) from central and eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, each with a GDP per capita below the Israeli level, will transform the EU into an economic and political entity of 28 countries that will be much closer than now to Israel, not only geographically but also politically, culturally and economically. The nature of the EMP will change through this enlargement since all the Mediterranean non-Arab countries except Israel will then be EU members. The changes to the map of Europe and of the EMP call for a rethinking by Israeli policy-makers of Israel's place in the EU's system of external relations.