ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the political, social, and economic condition of the Third Mediterranean Countries in order to better understand what is driving European policy towards the countries. It considers the Community’s nascent Mediterranean policy from 1961 until 1972. The book discusses the twin crises of the 1970s and 1980s—recession and enlargement—that strained Euro-Mediterranean relations and hastened the Global Mediterranean Policy’s (GMP's) demise. It also examines the Redirected Mediterranean Policy, which replaced the GMP in 1994, as well as several shorter-lived attempts to boost Euro-Mediterranean solidarity. The book describes the latest policy initiative in some detail, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses, and assessing the progress that has been made in its implemention so far. It argues that free trade in the Mediterranean region is the best means of creating an area of shared prosperity.
