The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM):

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM): A critical Review Order Description The aim of the paper would be to critically analyse the UfM and assess whether it is in" rel="nofollow">in a position to effectively deliver on its mandate. In order to do this, the paper should look at the developments leadin" rel="nofollow">ing to the creation of the UfM, appraise its in" rel="nofollow">institutional novelties, evaluate the in" rel="nofollow">influence of �outside� factors, as well as assess whether the 2008-based in" rel="nofollow">initiative takes cognise of the realities within" rel="nofollow">in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The historical perspective will look at the validity of the in" rel="nofollow">initiative as first proposed in" rel="nofollow">in 2007 by the then French President, the reactions to this proposal, as well as the negotiations which led to the �Europeanization� of the in" rel="nofollow">initiative and it eventual launchin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in 2008. The work will also assess the consequences of the in" rel="nofollow">initial difficulties encountered by the in" rel="nofollow">initiative � contentions over the role of the Arab League, the on-goin" rel="nofollow">ing Israeli-Palestin" rel="nofollow">inian tensions, particularly the Gaza crisis between 2008/9, lack of concrete fundin" rel="nofollow">ing, as well as the repeated cancellin" rel="nofollow">ing of Summit Meetin" rel="nofollow">ings. The research will also look at in" rel="nofollow">intra-Arab relations and their possible effects on the effective functionin" rel="nofollow">ing and performance of the UfM. The work will also look at and evaluate the newly created structures and novelties in" rel="nofollow">introduced in" rel="nofollow">in this multilateral framework � the decision for meetin" rel="nofollow">ings to be held on a regular basis, every two years, at the level of Min" rel="nofollow">inisters of Foreign Affairs, the Summit Meetin" rel="nofollow">ings, the Co-Presidency and the affect of the Lisbon Treaty on this, the settin" rel="nofollow">ing up and role of the Secretariat in" rel="nofollow">in Barcelona, headed by the Secretary General and six Deputy Secretary Generals. The latter were to head six �units� coverin" rel="nofollow">ing what, in" rel="nofollow">in 2008/9, where considered to be the priority areas for the region. Under the UfM, these priority areas were meant to develop EU-Mediterranean relations in" rel="nofollow">into more concrete and visible expressions, through regional and sub-regional projects, relevant for the citizens of the region, via the notion of variable geometry. The paper will further value the effective membership of the UfM which, by 2008, reached a larger scope and geographical expansion than ever before; besides the 28 EU members, there are 17 Mediterranean partners with Bosnia and Herzegovin" rel="nofollow">ina, Monaco and Montenegro newly admitted at the 2008 Paris summit; Libya remain" rel="nofollow">ins an observer state takin" rel="nofollow">ing part in" rel="nofollow">in the project. Participants in" rel="nofollow">include not only many EU members without a Mediterranean coast but also Mauritania and Jordan (which also lack this characteristic) � possibly because they had previously been in" rel="nofollow">included in" rel="nofollow">in the EMP. What is more, the sin" rel="nofollow">ingle partners can be characterized through a variegated mixture of different ties with the EU besides the UfM, rangin" rel="nofollow">ing from the observer state of Libya - today havin" rel="nofollow">ing no contractual ties to the EU- to others like Egypt and Tunisia that take part in" rel="nofollow">in the ENP, to Turkey, which is currently negotiatin" rel="nofollow">ing an EU accession. It will also be in" rel="nofollow">interestin" rel="nofollow">ing to analysis the notion of the �Southern neighbours� when referrin" rel="nofollow">ing to the EU�s partner states in" rel="nofollow">in the UfM, given that states, such as Monaco, the Balkans or even Turkey, are found further north on a map than the EU member state, Cyprus. The presence of the League of Arab States has, in" rel="nofollow">indirectly, enlarged the geographical scope of the UfM towards the Middle East. The research will also critically analysis the in" rel="nofollow">institutional documents which govern the workin" rel="nofollow">ings of the UfM � particularly the Statues, the Project Guidelin" rel="nofollow">ines, fin" rel="nofollow">inancin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">instruments, as well as the Fin" rel="nofollow">inal Statement, Marseille (November 2008) and the Join" rel="nofollow">int Declaration of the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean (July 2008) The effectiveness of the UfM, in" rel="nofollow">in the wake of the Arab Sprin" rel="nofollow">ing, will be analysed, keepin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in min" rel="nofollow">ind the new realities that these revolutions have brought with them. With the unforeseen and unpredictable call for democracy and changes from the Southern Mediterranean countries, the political terrain" rel="nofollow">in of the region has profoundly changed and new challenges have made their way in" rel="nofollow">in the old framework of relations between the EU and its southern neighbours. In this sense, it will be useful to study how such changes and transformations have impacted the relations between the EU and its Mediterranean Neighbours and, subsequently, how such changes have impacted this in" rel="nofollow">initiative.