The Role of International Organizations in the Mediterranean Sea: An Appraisal of the Union for the Mediterranean

Abstract

Abstract The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is the international entity that brings together all States of Southern and Eastern Mediterranean shores, all Member States of the European Union and the European Union itself. The UfM is currently the only forum where all States of the Mediterranean basin carry out a form of international cooperation to foster economic development and regional integration. It has undergone a significant institutional development since the creation of the Barcelona Process in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership in 1995. Despite its uniqueness, the UfM has received very limited attention by international law scholarship. The article aims at filling this gap by exploring the historical evolution along with the features and the functions of the UfM. The analysis will be undertaken in the purview of institutional law to verify whether the UfM can be considered an international organization or rather an informal partnership of States. The study will also discuss whether this entity could promote a form of “Mediterranean regionalism” or if the UfM would serve as a mere projection of the interests of the European Union over the Mediterranean Sea.