Barcelona Process of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

• The Barcelona Process was launched in 1995 between the European Union and its 12 Mediterranean Partners during the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs that was held in Barcelona on 27-28 November 1995.
• The 12 Mediterranean Partners, situated in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean are Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia; Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Syria; Turkey, Cyprus and Malta; (Libya has an observer status since 1999).
• As a result of the latest EU enlargement that took place on 1 May 2004, two Mediterranean Partners (Cyprus and Malta) were brought into the European Union, while adding a total of 10 to the number of Member States. Therefore, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership comprises 35 members, 25 EU Member States and 10 Mediterranean Partners.
• The Barcelona Partnership revolves around three main objectives common to all Euro-Med partners:
• The definition of a common area of peace and stability through the reinforcement of political and security dialogue.
• The construction of a zone of shared prosperity through an economic and financial partnership and gradual establishment of a free trade area by 2010.
• The rapprochement between people through a social, cultural and human partnership aimed at encouraging understanding between cultures and exchanges between civil societies.
• These common objectives are elaborated in the Barcelona Declaration, the Euro-Med Partnership's centrepiece document that sets the structure of both the bilateral and regional frameworks.
• In this context, Jordan has been supportive of the Barcelona Process since its inception in 1995, and attaches great significance to the values and objectives of this process, which include working together for peace and stability, improving mutual understanding and tolerance, and creating shared economic prosperity. 
• Moreover, Jordan was the first Mashrek country to sign an Association Agreement with the EU. This agreement represents a continuation of the EU-Jordan political, economic, social and cultural cooperation that is based upon common interests and shared perceptions.