EU Med Group

EUMED Group
Map of Europe indicating the member countries of the Med Group
Map of Europe indicating the member countries of the Med Group
Membership
Establishment 17 December 2013

EU Med, which is also referred to as 'Club Med' and 'Med Group', is an alliance of seven Southern European Union member states, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain. The Group was informally established on 17 December 2013 in Brussels at the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and Spain in order to create coordination on issues of common interest within the EU.[1] It was decided that the group would hold an annual meeting at the ministerial level. The first ministerial meeting was to take place in Greece in 2014, during Greece's presidency of the Council, but instead took place on 14 April in Alicante.[2][3][4] The second meeting took place in February 2015 in Paris.[5] The 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Mediterranean Group took place in Cyprus in February 2016 which was also attended by the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Fathallah Sijilmassi. The Foreign Ministers discussed security and stability issues in North Africa and the Middle East as well as the handling of the migration crisis.[6][7][8]

The Group held its 1st Mediterranean EU countries' Summit on 9 September 2016 at the Zappeion Palace in Athens.[9] Following the summit, the Athens Declaration was issued calling for investment to tackle youth unemployment and support growth, as well as stronger EU cooperation on issues of security and migration.[10][11] The next summit is scheduled to take place in Portugal.

All seven countries are part of the eurozone, and the Schengen Area, with the exception of Cyprus.

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "FM participates in "Med Group" Meeting". Famagusta-gazette.com. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  3. ↑ "" Med Group " meeting at the initiative of Cyprus and Spain (Brussels – (...) - La France à Malte". Ambafrance-mt.org. 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  4. ↑ "Informal Ministerial Meeting of the Mediterranean Group: UfM presents latest updates on regional integration efforts - Union for the Mediterranean - UfM". Ufmsecretariat.org. 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  5. ↑ "FM to attend Med Group ministerial meeting in Paris - ABNA-SE - The Association of the Balkan News Agencies – Southeast Europe". Abnaorg.eu. 2015-02-19. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ "Ministerial Meeting of the "Med Group": UfM Secretary General presents state of play and perspectives for regional integration in the Mediterranean - Union for the Mediterranean - UfM". Ufmsecretariat.org. 2016-02-26. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  8. ↑ "Cyprus - 3rd informal Ministerial Meeting of the "Med Group" - Joint Communiqué (25-26.02.16) - France-Diplomatie - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development". Diplomatie.gouv.fr. 2016-02-26. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  9. ↑ Kambas, Michele (2016-09-09). "EU Med nations hold summit on growth, EU paymasters question motive | Reuters". Uk.reuters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  10. ↑ Dr. Michael Ivanovitch (2016-09-11). "Bratislava EU talkfest will ignore pain in Club Med economies". Cnbc.com. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  11. ↑ Kostaki, Irene (2016-09-11). "Club Med does Bratislava". Neweurope.eu. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
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