The Mediterranean: Opportunities to Develop EU-GCC Relations?

This publication focuses on the European Union?s policies of cooperation with its Mediterranean neighbours and looks into how GCC countries can assist the transition process in these countries. Does the Southern Mediterranean offer opportunities for cooperation between the EU and GCC countries? Indeed, given the Gulf?s economic boom and growing investment in North Africa, GCC countries are well positioned to play a more central role in the Mediterranean. In addition, the Gulf region has close political ties with states such as Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for instance, have already played an active diplomatic role in the last few years in mitigating potential conflict situations. Yet, the contributions to this volume, while emphasizing the opportunities for EU-GCC economic cooperation in the Mediterranean area, warn of the political weaknesses in EU-GCC relations and argue that such difficulties may not allow for establishment of the kind of political cooperation framework that more intense economic cooperation requires.

Proceedings of the seminar "The Mediterranean: Opportunities to Develop EU-GCC Relations?", organised in Rome on 10-11 December 2009 within the framework of the Al-Jisr project.