A complex agenda: Spain's EU Presidency and the Mediterranean
On the occasion of the presentation of the second edition of the monographic work Researching the Mediterranean, CIDOB has hosted a debate on the priorities for Spain's EU Presidency of the in the Mediterranean.
On the occasion of the presentation of the second edition of the monographic work Researching the Mediterranean, CIDOB has hosted a debate on the priorities for Spain's EU Presidency of the in the Mediterranean. Following an institutional welcome by Senén Florensa, Director of IEMed, Chris Branwood, Director of the British Council in Barcelona, and Jordi Vaquer, Director of the CIDOB Foundation, it was the turn to speak of the book's editors, Iván Martín and Richard Gillespie, and the Deputy Director of General Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, José Luis Pardo; all three presented their views on the upcoming EU presidency. Richard Gillespie pointed out that even though it will be hard for Spain to achieve the success of 1995 or even of 2002, there are high expectations in Spain because “this country appreciates, more than France does, the commitment of all European actors to the Mediterranean”.
Meanwhile, in his address, Iván Martín also made comparisons with France, calling for greater resources both for diplomacy and for civil society and networks of experts, given that while Spain had ended up with the role of a great organiser, it was lacking in ideas of its own. José Luis Pardo stressed that the Mediterranean dimension should be viewed within an agenda that is a complex one for Spain's upcoming presidency, given that issues such as the Euro-American dimension, matters of justice and domestic issues and those of climate change will all play a paramount role. Pardo acknowledged that although the multilateral dimension of Euro-Mediterranean relations is not going through its best moment, it is of fundamental importance that Spain should succeed in setting the Union for the Mediterranean in motion.
Among other issues, he stressed the need to consolidate a permanent, professional secretariat. Closer to home were his views on bilateral accords, and hence relations with Morocco and the development of the Advanced Statute are at the top of the agenda.Following these addresses, a debate was opened in which participants discussed issues such as Spain's relative weight in European foreign policy, the role of local bodies in the promotion of processes of better governance, and the risks and advantages of focusing on cooperation in the western Mediterranean region. They also found time to speak of the Arab-Israeli conflict and non-Mediterranean issues, particularly those concerning Iran and Iraq. In all, the debate underlined the importance of this kind of discussion between representatives of public administrations and experts, in addition to highlighting the complexity of Spain's future EU Presidency.