History
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (or Barcelona Process) is a wide framework of political, economic and social relations between member states of the EU and countries of the Southern Mediterranean. It was initiated on 27–28 November 1995 through a conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Barcelona. Besides the 27 member states of the European Union, the remaining "Mediterranean Partners" are all other Mediterranean countries without Libya (which has had 'observer status' since 1999). Since the establishment of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument in 2007 the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership initiative will become fully a part of the wider European Neighbourhood Policy. The *ENPI Info Centre was launched in January 2009 by the European Commission to make more known the relationship between the EU and its Neighbours.
The Association Agreements signed with the Mediterranean states aim at establishing of a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area. Earlier, the EU's neighbourhood policy was realized through New Neighbours (2002) and Wider Europe (2002–2004) initiatives.
According to the European Union's official site, the objective of the ENP is to share the benefits of the EU’s 2004 enlargement with neighbouring countries. It is also designed to prevent the emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and its neighbours. The vision is that of a ring of countries, drawn into further integration, but without necessarily becoming full members of the European Union. The policy was first outlined by the European Commission in March 2003. The countries covered include all of the Mediterranean shores of Africa and Asia, as well as the European CIS states (with the exception of Russia and Kazakhstan) in the Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Russia insisted on the creation of the four EU-Russia Common Spaces instead of ENP participation.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has expressed interest in the ENP and some MEPs have also discussed Kazakhstan's inclusion in the ENP .
Read more about this topic: European Neighbourhood Policy
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