After a virtual conference with civil society on Wednesday 25 November, the ministers of the 42 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) will meet on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 November for an EU-Southern Neighbourhood ministerial meeting for a renewed partnership, followed by the fifth Regional Forum of the UfM.
On Thursday, “the ministers will officially launch the reflection on how to renew the EU-Southern Neighbourhood partnership in order to better respond to today’s challenges and opportunities, in particular the green and digital transitions and an inclusive recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic”, according to the European Commission. According to UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel, the meeting will also be an opportunity to start preparing an EU economic development strategy for the southern Mediterranean.
On Friday, the fifth Regional Forum will provide the opportunity to celebrate 25 years of the Barcelona Process. Mr Kamel explained to journalists, including EUROPE, that this Forum would be an opportunity for ministers to assess the Barcelona Process and to see what has been achieved over the past quarter century and what remains to be done “to relaunch this framework for cooperation, which is more important than ever because of the challenges we face”. He cited climate change, pollution, and unemployment “as having geopolitical implications for the whole region. Our problems may seem local, but they are regional, and we need to address them from a regional perspective”, he explained.
The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as women’s empowerment (see EUROPE 12597/15), economic development, and trade (see EUROPE 12599/24) will also be addressed.
According to the European Council’s draft guidelines for conclusions of 10-11 December, dated 24 November, the EU’s relations with the Southern Neighbourhood will be discussed by EU leaders. “The conclusions will recall the importance of the EU’s relations with the Southern Neighbourhood countries and look forward to the upcoming Joint Communication (from the High Representative of the Union and the European Commission, editor’s note) on a renewed partnership (due in the first quarter of 2021, editor’s note), which is awaited with interest”, according to the draft (see EUROPE 12600/32). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)