Initially, the inspirer of the project, Nicolas Sarkozy planned to invite only the states of the Mediterranean basin to the organization. But this caused him dissatisfaction with the “out of work” neighbors in the EU. As a result, all members of the United Europe were connected to the project. European MP from Poland Jacek Sryusz Wolski, head of the European Commission on Foreign Affairs, believes that the EU’s eastern neighbors should not be forgotten: “The European Union has been pursuing a policy towards the Mediterranean countries for a long time. Less attention has been paid to eastern countries as a part of its neighborhood policy. And we have to work on that. “
As part of the new organization, designed to strengthen ties between the Mediterranean countries and the EU, it is planned to implement a number of specific initiatives. The first on the agenda should be a project for the purification of the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. European Commissioner for Education Jan Figel, for his part, offers to develop cultural exchange: “It is necessary to expand opportunities for cooperation, for example, to develop student and teacher exchange programs. It may make sense to allocate special grants for this region within the framework of the Erasmus Mundos program . “
The Mediterranean Union will include 39 countries. The creation of a new regional organization will be announced on July 13 in Paris.
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