In 1995 a partnership was launched between the 15 member countries of the European Union and 12 countries in the Mediterranean (Algeria, Palestine Authority, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey) (Member 1). The cooperative known as the Euro-Med Partnership was organized to develop a large free trade region among the 27 countries. Representatives and government and economic specialists from the 27 member states have attended meetings in Barcelona, Antalya, and Casablanca. Themes and goals have includes discussion of financial and banking sector reforms, industrial competitiveness, modernization, innovation, technology/quality, deregulating trade in the Mediterranean States, promoting stability in the Mediterranean, and creating Euro-Med market instruments and networks of investment (Push 1). There are three important dimensions to the Euro-Med partnership that gives different members more or less advantageous positions over the others. These dimensions are: economic, political and social.
Massive economic transitions have an impact on the political and social realms of society. The push to create a free trade region among the 27 member States is such a massive change. Yet key players and countries are more heavily involved in the creation and implementation of policies and structural changes towards the creation of the infrastructure to permit free trade than are others. For example, representatives from Lebanon and Turkey feel like they are being undermined in terms of making contributions to the changes that will have an impact on their countries. Further, the EU’s considerable advantage in terms of political, economic, technology, information, and financial resources have caused many Mediterranean States to feel like the Euro-Med pact is a Euro pact. At the Euro-Med Summit in Antalya, the Greek Cypriot delegation left the meeting due to w
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