New EU Member States’ Positions regarding the Union for the Mediterranean
The project will consist of the three following parts:
1. Preparation of the report devoted to analyzing the position of the selected New Member States (Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic) towards the concept of the Union for the Mediterranean.
2. International conference organized in Warsaw (Poland). More about the conference (11.05.2009) >>>
3. During the conference the Tunisian partner (CEMI) will present a policy paper concerning the southern Mediterranean perspective of the report results.
Main research questions:
• What are the differences between positions of the New Member States towards Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) that result from their geopolitical position and interests?
• Do the new Member States perceive UfM as a threat to their strategic interests located in the East?
• How does the idea of the Union for the Mediterranean refer to Community models of cooperation with the countries of the Mediterranean region, such as the Barcelona Process and the European Neighbourhood Policy?
• Can the idea be utilized as a mean for a formal separation of the Eastern and Southern dimensions of the European Neighbourhood Policy?
• How is the UMed project going to affect EU foreign policy in general and ENP in particular, EU budget, EU energy policy, EU immigration policy, enlargement policy ?
• How is the UMed project going to affect the strategic position of Central-European states within the EU?
• How is the UMed project going to affect the cooperation within Visegrad grouping or the Weimar Triangle?
• What kind of political/ economic threats/ challenges/ opportunities does the UMed project present for the Eastern dimension of the ENP?
The study will be based on interviews (10 – 15 per country) with the representatives of elites from Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary:
- Politicians (party leaders/ deputies involved in European matters) and government administration (Ministry of Foreign Affairs),
- diplomatic service (Permanent Representations to the EU),
- Academia/ Think-tanks
The analysis of Hungarian and Czech attitudes towards the concept of the Union for the Mediterranean will be commissioned from Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (Czech Republic).
The report New EU Member States’ Positions regarding the Union for the Mediterranean will be presented on the international conference in Warsaw (Winter 2009), closing the project, as well as a policy paper prepared by the partner of the Project - the Centre for Mediterranean and International Studies.
Project Coordinator:
Dr. Agnieszka Lada
tel: (+48 22) 556 42 88
fax: (+48-22) 556 42 62
agnieszka.lada@isp.org.pl
