International Context of the Mediterranean Union Project

This work focuses on the Mediterranean Union project proposed by Nicolas Sarkozy during the French presidential campaign in 2007. It represents a comprehensive portrayal of the Mediterranean region which has been due to its unique characteristics the center of attention of various international parties involved. These have been trying to take advantage of the Mediterranean Sea potential namely since the end of the 20th century and, at the same time, to introduce stability by means of various integration groups and further projects of cooperation. The Barcelona Process was the most complex partnership project within the Mediterranean territory which was launched by the European Union in 1995. The Barcelona Process or the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership nevertheless has not brought any significant achievements, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict being considered the greatest impediment to its success. The work stresses the significance of the new project of the Mediterranean Union, which should learn a lesson from all the previous and, in many aspects unsuccessful, integration efforts and try to find a different way which would lead to achieving stability and cooperation of the countries within the region. In 2008, the Union for the Mediterranean developed from the Mediterranean Union project, which should reassume within the most possible extent the Barcelona Process. At the same time, the new integration approach should not consist of setting general goals but of formulating specific goals and their gradual implementation, which could lead to the unity of the region in the end. Complex political issues, however, still pose the major threat today.