Barcelona chosen as base of the Union for the Mediterranean

Published by P. Horvath, November 12th, 2008, Barcelona (Spain) The Foreign Ministers of 43 countries from the European Union, the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East agreed to base the new Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean in Barcelona, Spain. The meeting, held in Marseille between November 3rd and 4th, was centred in discussing the new institutional governance of the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean, which from now on will be called Union for the Mediterranean". Barcelona was chosen to allow the partners of both shores of the Mediterranean to work better together to face common challenges. The selected project areas on which the partners will work in priority include the de-pollution of the Mediterranean, maritime and land highways, civil protection, alternative energies and the Mediterranean Solar Plan, higher education and research, the Mediterranean Business Development Initiative. AFAEMME championed Barcelona’s candidature by submitting a letter of support to the European Commission Representation in Barcelona. This support was jointly agreed upon during AFAEMME’s Annual Assembly held in Barcelona last September.