ABSTRACT
The Mediterranean Basin joins industrialized and industrializing countries that are often identified with at least two important cleavages: the rich/poor or North/South division, and the alleged civilizational tensions between Islam and the West, particularly following September 11, 2001. The Barcelona process or European Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) emerged to bridge across those cleavages. The EMP process brings to relief three institutional pillars of crucial relevance for enhancing cooperation across this mix cluster of internationalizing and inward-looking states: market reforms, democratization, and the role of regional institutions. These three institutions provided the "triple logic" or foundational rationale for the EMP. The "outer ring" of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean arch, including Iraq, Iran, Sudan and others have similarly resisted meaningful economic reforms. The Barcelona process also aimed at encouraging "good governance", democracy and human rights. Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are not always compatible with full commitment to global multilateralism but can provide useful stepping stones for broader liberalization efforts.
