The Politics of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: Theory and Practice

This chapter attempts to conceptually &s;unpack&s; the European Union&s;s (EU) Mediterranean strategy by employing different theoretical perspectives to explain the development of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP). It considers the characteristics of the Euro-Mediterranean initiative as a policy area, comparing it with the Union&s;s approach to eastern enlargement and setting it in the wider context of Euro-Mediterranean relations. Southern member states had more intense economic and security interests in the region than their northern, non-Mediterranean counterparts. The chapter analyses the impact of intergovernmental politics on the EMP. It engages with the institutionalist claim that institutions have a significant role in determining policy outcomes, and have policy &s;preferences&s; in their own right. The chapter focuses on the roles of the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council Presidency and the Council Secretariat. A strong case exists to use theory that captures the interplay between domestic interests and the behaviour of governments in the EU policy-making process.