Sarkozy’s 'unclear proposal' on a Mediterranean Union

French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s proposal to create a ‘Union of the Mediterranean’ is not clear, especially on the nature and objectives of this new body, argue Michael Emerson and Nathalie Tocci from the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels.
In particular, the CEPS paper raises the following questions:

1. Would this trade union take over from the Barcelona process?
2. Would additional policy instruments be provided by the members of the Med-Union alone?
3. With the escalating hub of conflict in Israel-Palestine-Lebanon-Syria, how would the Mediterranean Union resolve the diplomatic impasse that has bedeviled the Barcelona process?

According to CEPS's paper, the 'take-over' option can be dismissed, even if Sarkozy has surprisingly launched this idea of a "Union of the Mediterranean" without mentioning the EU's Barcelona process. Another possibility, which would hardly merit the name of 'Union of the Mediterranean' and would only create extra confusion in the EU's processes, would be to create an expanded '5+5' West Mediterranean Forum, the paper states.
It proposes another possibility: to reshape the architecture of the Barcelona Process and that of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), by separating the southern and eastern branches of the ENP. Such a change would represent an important agenda to consider, the authors assert.
Under this scenario, the Barcelona Process and extra mechanisms of the ENP would be merged, and existing policies and procedures would be reconsidered. In addition, this Union of the Mediterranean would require a reconfiguration of the role of the most interested member-states, the paper states.
The CEPS therefore recommends this version of the 'Union of the Mediterranean' for Sarkozy's consideration, in case the idea was launched without been seriously prepared. This interpretation of the new President's proposal was suggested in the press, saying that it was "just an intuitive remark about wanting to do something 'better than Barcelona' in the Mediterranean".
Euractiv
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