The Euro-Mediterranean New Strategy and the Maghreb Countries

THE LIMITED EFFECT OF ITS DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION POLICY ON THE MAGHREB COUNTRIES, AND THE GROWING SIGNS OF INSTABILITY ON ITS SOUTHERN BORDERS, HAVE BEEN AMONG THE MAJOR FACTORS THAT HAVE LED THE EUROPEAN UNION IN RECENT YEARS TO REASSESS ITS RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS THESE COUNTRIES IN PARTICULAR, AND TOWARDS THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION IN GENERAL. IN AN ATTEMPT TO ADAPT TO THESE CHALLENGES, THE EU CAME UP WITH A NEW POLICY INITIATIVE. THE AIM OF THE EU IN LAUNCHING ITS PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE IS TO FOSTER STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WITHIN ITS SOUTHERN NEIGHBORS. FOR THE MAGHREB COUNTRIES, THE ASSOCIATION ARRANGEMENTS AND MOST NOTABLY THEIR TRADE COMPONENT DO NOT REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT TO THEIR PREVIOUS STATUS IN THE RELATIONSHIP. THE SUCCESS OF THE WHOLE OPERATION WOULD REQUIRE IMMENSE EFFORT FROM THE MAGHREB COUNTRIES AT SUSTAINING THEIR REFORMS AND IMPROVING THEIR ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.