The EU global strategy and the Mediterranean

Abstract

The European Union was an idea inspired after years of conflict on European soil. When the founding fathers established the European Coal and Steel Community back in 1950, they did not envisage the intricacies which would be faced by the member states in the nearly 70 years since its inception. However, over this long period of time the European Union has kept to heart the values which it started off with, having peace and prosperity between European nations. Nonetheless, the European Union has not come to where it is currently without turmoil and conflict. Currently, encompassing 28 member states and only recently recovering from an economic crisis which shock the Union to its core, the EU along with its member states is dealing with age old conflicts whilst facing arising new threats and has to look within itself to create a strategy with which the European is stronger than ever before and ready to tackle new age problems. With this in mind, the European Global Strategy is written with the aim of addressing the current problems within the European Union itself as well as breaching the unparalleled potential the EU has if its member states and Institutions all work in harmony towards a common agenda. Europe has been the playground of the worst conflicts in the past century. From two world wars which were almost entirely fought on European soil to Europe being the middle ground during the exhaustive Cold War. Moreover, in recent years its neighbouring areas have been host to a number of conflicts, including the Arab Spring and the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. Therefore, one can summarise the European region to be one full of ideas and cultures but plagued by uncertainty and challenges. The aim of this study is the view the impact The European Global Strategy will have in addressing the existing conflicts whilst also presenting a new vision for the European Union and in particular how it aims to deal with the unrest in the Mediterranean region. It is also important to consider new threats which are directly influencing the working of the European Union such as; terrorism, organised crimes and state failures. The forces at play in the Mediterranean Region are different than most. Different religions and cultures make it very difficult for countries to get along. It is here that the European Global Strategy differs from its predecessors. All the different countries within this region have different agendas, and the European Global Strategy aims at addressing the agendas of the different countries through regional cooperation. The fact that the European Union cannot enforce certain regulation on countries not within its sphere of influence makes this task slightly harder. Nonetheless, this study will show that whilst the ideas of economic prosperity, defence cooperation, peace and stability are viewed as important aims valued by all countries, implementation of such strategies is often easier said than done. It is therefore, the capability of the European Global Strategy to implement these goals which will grant it as successful where strategies before it have not met expectations.