History

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) was launched on the 13th July 2008 at the Paris Summit as a continuation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Euro-Med), also known as the Barcelona Process, established at the Barcelona Conference in 1995. The UfM constitutes a framework for political, economic and social relations between the European Union and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries and is inspired by the goals set out in the Barcelona Declaration.

The UfM is linked to the goals of the Barcelona Declaration – namely working to make the creation of an area of peace, stability, security and shared economic prosperity, as well as full respect of democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms and promotion of understanding between cultures and civilizations in the Euro-Mediterranean region – a reality.

The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfMS) was established by a decision of Heads of State and Government of the UfM and its Statutes were adopted on the 3rd of March 2010 by virtue of a decision passed by the Senior Officials of the Member States. The same date, the first Secretary General was officially presented at the UfMS headquarters in a ceremony with the participation of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the co-presidencies (France and Egypt), of the Foreign Affairs Minister of Jordan, of the Commission responsible for the neighbourhood policy and of the Secretary General of the league of Arab States.