THE UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN AS AN INTERNATIONAL AGENCY AND AS A CATALYST OF EUROPEAN COOPERATION

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is an International Intergovernmental Agency having a complete structure: Stable Secretariat in Barcelona, Budget, By Laws and specific targets. The UfM was supposed to reinforce the European cooperation with the Mediterranean Countries completing the actions conducted by the European Commission in the framework of the tradition of Cooperation opened since 1960 and consolidated with the Barcelona Euromediterranean Conferences of 1995 and 2005 followed by the European Neighbourhood Policy. The financial difficulties of Europe today and the expectations created by the Arab Spring are opening new perspectives for the UfM because as a International Agency and not as a mere Catalyst of European Cooperation can look for fresh money in diverse Arab Countries and International Financial Institutions.