Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers meeting on 30-31 May in Luxembourg reached agreed conclusions. This is the first time since the Barcelona Declaration in 1995 that this has occurred. Ministers assessed the achievements of 10 years' Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and discussed future guidelines ahead of the Extraordinary High Level Meeting scheduled for 27-28 November in Barcelona. Ministers stated that, "while there are many positive achievements, much remains to be done in order to realise the full potential of the Barcelona Declaration". Ministers reaffirmed that "the centrality of the Barcelona Process is a unanimously accepted principle". They noted that the bodies implementing the Association Agreements provide "a solid basis for the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy, which enhances" Barcelona. They welcomed the establishment of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Anna Lindh Foundation and the non-governmental platform, as well as the activities of the Facility for Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), and MEDA funding which have accounted for over ? 9.7 billion since the programme started. For the future, Ministers considered the need "to upgrade the activities of the Partnership. in order to bring it closer to the people". They recommended that particular focus be placed on a few activities "where the pace should be speeded up", in particular in the fields of "peace, security, stability, good governance and democracy; sustainable economic development and reform; education and socio-cultural exchanges; as well as justice, security, migration and social integration". Ministers mandated Senior Officials of the Partnership to consider establishing agreed targets in all those fields. Ministers also "recommended the elaboration of a road map for the creation of a Free Trade Area by 2010", and for trade liberalisation in agricultural products and fisheries. Ministers also "instructed the Euromed Committee to reinforce its co-ordination and review function". In addition, Ministers emphasised the need to promote the role of women in society, north and south of the Mediterranean, and the importance of the fight against terrorism. They welcomed the European Commission's intention to examine to what extent the methods of the EU's regional policy could provide inspiration for regional development policy in the Mediterranean. Lastly, Ministers "agreed that a regional strategy against racism, xenophobia and intolerance should be designed". The agreed conclusions for the Conference were sent out on 1 June as Euromed Report No 90. They are also available on line at:
http://europa.eu.int