Middle East tension foils final Euromed declaration

The Euromed Tenth Anniversary Summit in Barcelona, 27-28 November 2005 ended without agreement on a final declaration. However, the co-hosts of the Summit, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero, insisted progress had been made in deepening ties with the countries bordering the Mediterranean, and in continuing the struggle against terrorism.

A five-year plan on extending political pluralism was endorsed, and agreement was reached on a Code of Conduct, intended to increase police and judicial co-operation against terrorist groups. However, a definition of 'terrorism' was omitted.

EuroMediterranean Summit, 2005: Homepage http://www.euromedbarcelona.org/Home_EN

EEAS: Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED) http://eeas.europa.eu/euromed/index_en.htm

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 28.11.05: PRES/05/326 (10th Anniversary Euro-Mediterranean Summit, Barcelona, 27 and 28 November 2005: Chairman’s Statement) http://consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/er/87164.pdf

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 28.11.05: PRES/05/327 (10th Anniversary Euro-Mediterranean Summit, Barcelona, 27 and 28 November 2005: Five year work programme) http://consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/er/87165.pdf

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 28.11.05: PRES/05/328 (10th Anniversary Euro-Mediterranean Summit, Barcelona, 27 and 28 November 2005: Euro-Mediterranean Code of Conduct on Countering Terrorism http://consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/er/87166.pdf

Friends of the Earth Europe (et al.): Press Release, 30.11.05: 10 th Anniversary Summit on the EuroMed partnership: Environmental NGOs welcome commitments on sustainable development and depollution http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/EC_30_Nov_CdS.htm

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