Volatile Regionalism in the Mediterranean Area

Abstract

This contribution aims to understand what kind of regionalism is experiencing the Mediterranean area. A theoretical model will be provided in order to analyze current patters of EuroMediterranean relations, and in particular EU’s action in the area. Is the EU pursuing a regionalist project in the area? Is the EU promoting region-building processes? The launching of the Union for the Mediterranean in July 2008 seems to have frozen the region building process promoted with the EuroMediterranean Partnership, and initiated a narrower neo-functionalist process. According to a list of technical priority areas indicated in the Paris Declaration, specific cooperation projects have to be elaborated and implemented also with the involvement of private actors and non-regional actors. We seek to demonstrate that EU’s role as regional-integrator in the Mediterranean as it was conceived in the mid-1990s has been currently weakened. DRAFT: Please do not cite, comments are welcome. 1 A preliminary version of this contribution was presented at the XXIII SISP Congress, Rome 17-19 September 2009. I would like to thank Elena Baracani, Eugenia Baroncelli, Manuela Moschella, panel organizers, and Vittorio Emanuele Parsi, paper discussant, together with Fulvio Attina, Carla Monteleone and Rosa Rossi for their comments. Of course, I retain the only responsibility for this work.