The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2002 and the Relaunching of the Barcelona Process

Has the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2002 achieved its goal of relaunching the Barcelona Process and generating the political impetus to make its plans a reality? Is the Valencia Action Plan the road map for this journey? What has this really meant in terms of the development of the Process and the configuration of the international system in the Mediterranean?

To answer these questions it is first necessary to consider the implications and opportunities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in terms of the development of the Barcelona Process. This can be considered a three-hold issue, involving the development of the Process as an element that gives structure to the Mediterranean international order, the relationships between the EU and its southern Mediterranean associates, and the development of Spain’s position and relative weight among these.