The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was launched at the 1995 Barcelona Conference between the European Union and its originally 12 Mediterranean Partners: Israel, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus and Malta. Libya currently has observer status at certain meetings. Since the enlargement, in May 2004, the co-operation covers 35 countries, the EU of 25, including Cyprus and Malta and the 10 Mediterranean Partners.

Main principles of the Barcelona Declaration

• Establish a common Euro-Mediterranean area of peace and stability based on fundamental principles including respect for human rights and democracy (political and security partnership).
• Create an area of shared prosperity through the progressive establishment of a free-trade area between the EU and its Partners and among the Mediterranean Partners themselves (economic and financial partnership).
• Develop human resources; promote understanding between cultures and rapprochement of the peoples in the Euro-Mediterranean region as well as to develop free and flourishing civil societies (social, cultural and human partnership). The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership comprises two complementary tracks, the bilateral and the regional agenda.

Egypt is an active player in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and has lent it support to the Five Year Plan of Action adopted at the 10th Anniversary of the Barcelona Process in 2005 to give focus and invigoration to the regional grouping over the medium term.

Egypt is host to the Anna Lindh Foundation, which was created by the 25 Member States of the European Union and their ten Mediterranean partners as an instrument of the Barcelona Process and with the general objective of developing partnership in social, cultural and human affairs, and, in particular, for developing human resources, promoting understanding between cultures and exchanges between civil societies. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner used the occasion of her visit the Foundation in May 2006 to underline her message that the Foundation should serve as a leading force for promoting understanding, tolerance and awareness between faiths and cultures in the region.