MOET

The Barcelona Declaration adopted at the Barcelona Conference expresses the 27 partners intention to:

- Establish a common Euro-Mediterranean area of peace and stability based on fundamental principles including respect for human rights and democracy (political and security partnership),

- Create an area of shared prosperity through the progressive establishment of a free-trade area between the EU and its Partners and among the Mediterranean Partners themselves, accompanied by substantial EU financial support for the economic transition and for the social and economic consequences of the reform process (economic and financial partnership), and

- Develop human resources, promote understanding between cultures and rapprochement of the peoples in the Euro-Mediterranean region as well as to develop free and flourishing civil societies (social, cultural and human partnership). Association Agreements between the EU and Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority (interim agreement) have already entered into force. Negotiations with Egypt were concluded in June 1999 and the agreement initialed in January 2001. Ongoing negotiations are underway with Lebanon, Syria and Algeria.