The Challenge of Differentiation in Euro-Mediterranean Relations : Flexible Regional Cooperation or Fragmentation

In view of the so-far unsuccessful attempts to establish region-wide mechanisms of multilateral cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean area, this book enquires whether more differentiated forms of cooperation can trigger positive dynamics of convergence, or on the contrary, more fragmentation in a region already affected by deep political, economic and social divisions. The contributors to this collection assess this policy-relevant question through careful theoretical reflection and in-depth case studies in a number of policy domains.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Mediterranean Politics.

The tension between the aim of creating sustainable multilateral region-building dynamics and the need to find more differentiated and flexible forms of cooperation has been ever-present in Euro-Mediterranean relations. The proliferation of different and partially overlapping initiatives in recent years – the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean – is a plain expression of this tension. The 2011 episodes of regime-change in the Arab world have once again placed the debate about differentiation in EU’s relations with Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries at the top of the Union’s foreign policy agenda.

This book contributes to theoretical and practical debates on whether differentiation processes can aid or hinder policy convergence processes and region-building efforts more widely. The contributions to this collection assess the actual significance and consequences of differentiation in Euro-Mediterranean relations through sector-specific in-depth analyses, covering issue areas as varied as environmental policy, migration, foreign and defence policy, trade, energy, civil protection and democracy promotion. The particular angle and comprehensive analysis of this book will make it of great interest for both scholars and policy makers alike in a moment when Euro-Mediterranean are in need of a thorough rethink.

This book was based on a special issue of Mediterranean Politics.