Rethinking the Euro-Mediterranean political and security dialogue

Since the summer 2000, the emergence of the new intifada and the deterioration of Arab-Israeli relations, the terrorist attacks of 11 September and the military intervention in Iraq have all played their part in undermining the security environment in and around the Mediterranean, with negative repercussions on EU policies towards the region, while at the same time highlighting the vital importance of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP). The 2003 Wider Europe/New Neighbourhood initiative and the European Security Strategy that confirmed the EU's ambition to become a fully fledged regional power and to strengthen its global role could together give fresh momentum to the EU's Mediterranean policies. This paper argues that, while welcoming the new proposals, the Barcelona process still remains an appropriate framework for deepening relations between the two shores of the Mediterranean.