Sustainable Development and Adjustment in the Mediterranean Countries following the EU Enlargement

Europe and its institutional epiphany, initially the European Economic Community and now the European Union, have a long record of relationship with the Mediterranean area. The EU has a vital interest in maintaining stable and peaceful relations with this region, where daunting challenges are at work, not only for trade and financial flows, but also in a number of strategic fields, ranging from those of overall stability and security in face of multifaceted tensions, to those of environment, migrations and energy security. That is why the EU since the early 1960s has been supporting regional comprehensive cooperation and integration schemes, the last of which has been the Barcelona Process launched in 1995 with the aim to establish a Euro-Mediterranean cooperation with three distinct chapters on political and security issues, on economic and financial partnership and on social, cultural and human rights. In addition recently the EU has also started the European Neighbourhood Policy, wh