EU–MENA Relations from the Barcelona Process to the Arab Uprisings: A New Research Agenda

Abstract

Over the last two decades the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have acquired considerable importance for the European Union (EU). As the process of deepening and enlarging made the Union's external relations more central to EU policy-making, transformations taking place in the MENA region and its proximity contributed to raise the interest of the EU policy-making community towards the region beyond traditional bilateral relations. Along with greater engagement, there has been a significant growth of academic studies on EU-MENA relations.This article reflects on the state of the art of the scholarship on EU foreign policy towards the MENA to highlight the contribution that it has made, or failed to make, to broader studies on the EU foreign policy and to identify new research developments. This 'state of the art' reflection is urgent today, as the Arab Uprisings created the conditions for a thorough overhaul of EU policies towards the region. The scholarship on EU-MENA relationsSince the mid-1990s, the focus has been on a number of recurring themes inextricably linked with the policy tools the EU designed for and implemented in the region. The onset of the relevant literature coincides with the launch of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (EMP) in 1995, the first European attempt to conduct a coordinated foreign policy action towards the region. The partnership had three pillars: the creation of a free-trade area, cultural exchanges and political cooperation. . The rationale behind the partnership was the promotion of regional stability through economic integration and democratization in a multilateral forum, including

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