So what is the new Union for the Mediterranean for, asks Doaa El-Bey The planned Union for the Mediterranean has aroused controversy on both the southern and northern shores of the eponymous sea. Whatever the misgivings expressed so far, however, they are unlikely to derail the launch of the new grouping of 27 EU member states and their southern neighbours planned for 13 July in the French capital, Paris. The first coordinating meeting for the union was held on Saturday in Cairo, attended by representatives from the seven Arab states overlooking the Mediterranean as well as Mauritania, Jordan, Syria and the Arab League. After it was over, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit announced that two further meetings would be set before the official launch of the grouping, the first in Slovenia, the current president of the EU. Both meetings will be attended by the 27 EU states and the Arab states intending to join the union. A source in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry who attended the meeting said the first meeting had focussed on some issues, particularly on projects presented by the EU that covered sea transportation, solar power, civil protection against natural disasters and cleaning the Mediterranean. "We tried to formulate an Arab vision for the shape of cooperation in these fields in addition to adding other areas of benefit to the Arab states. We will present the Arab vision in the Slovenia meeting," said the source. Since the idea of the union was first mooted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy shortly after his election last year questions have been raised as to whether it can deliver any more than the Barcelona Process which, since 1995, has singularly failed to meet its avowed objectives. Abul-Gheit conceded that the union is likely to face obstacles. "The Barcelona Process is still there but it has failed to deliver... the Arab-Israeli conflict has impeded any form of cooperation. The union is a new attempt that has more regional dimensions but it may face the same obstacles as Barcelona," he said in a press conference. Ahmed Youssef, a political science professor at Cairo University, views the coordination meeting itself as a source of frustration for anyone that believes in inter- Arab integration. If it is possible to gather to discuss the Mediterranean union, he asks, why not gather to discuss the Arab differences that are impeding real inter- Arab cooperation? "The Arab nation is still a place for action from outside while we merely react. Why can't we gather so quickly when it comes to inter-Arab relations? Even if we aim to establish relations with external parties, we should first work to establish stronger inter-Arab ties before arranging for external relations." But as long as the obstacles that faced the Barcelona Process are still present on the ground the tangible achievements of the new union are likely to remain limited. The absence of a fair settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains paramount, but there are also differences between member states such as Algeria and Morocco, Turkey and Cyprus. The difference in the weight and influence of the developed states in the north and their southern neighbours will tend towards an unbalanced form of cooperation unlikely to deliver while the invitation to Turkey to join the union, possibly in lieu of granting full EU membership, is likely to exacerbate tensions between Ankara and some European capitals. Attendees at the coordination meeting welcomed the suggestion of a joint Egyptian-French presidency. "All parties welcomed President Mubarak's presidency of the union for the first two years though any final decision will need to be taken by all southern parties to the union. We still do not know the position of states like Turkey, Albania and Israel," said the Foreign Ministry source. Discussion of the secretariat focussed on how it is to be financed rather than its role. The EU has suggested a joint permanent commission in Brussels and a secretariat in one of the southern states. Morocco and Tunisia have both offered to host the latter but no decision has been made. The union is expected to have a European secretary- general and a deputy from the south. During the EU foreign ministers meeting held in Brussels on Monday. France reiterated its commitment to establish the union. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Paris was keen to focus on developing EU relations across the Mediterranean during its presidency of the EU which begins on 1 July. Sarkozy first suggested a Mediterranean union immediately after his election in May. His original plan was a Mediterranean union restricted to states bordering the sea but that was changed after Germany voiced fears that it might split the EU. In March, EU leaders agreed to a limited form of union involving a regular summit between EU and Mediterranean leaders with a joint presidency and a small secretariat. Sarkozy was forced to accept the changes. "Unlike the EU, the Union for the Mediterranean lacks the integrative factors that could bind its member states. Establishing a union for geographical reasons is not enough," says Youssef.
