Thirty Years of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: What is the impact of policy learning on policy change?

The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP or Barcelona Process) began in 1995 to enhance Euro-Mediterranean relations. Initially, the EU aimed to transform its power into positive influence, fostering trust and sharing peace-building experiences through economic cooperation. Over the years, additional initiatives like the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean were introduced to strengthen the EU's capacity in shaping its neighbourhood. Despite advancements in aligning regulatory frameworks, the Barcelona Process fell short of achieving stability and security in the region, particularly evident in the Arab uprisings. These events marked the EMP's failure in addressing challenges related to democracy, human rights, and poverty. However, they also signalled a shift towards a renewed relationship, emphasizing deep democracy and inclusive growth. Scholarly debates surrounding the EMP's continuity and change centre on whether the EU learns from its past mistakes and unintended consequences. Some argue that despite deficits, the EU has made incremental efforts to act as a normative power, reducing transaction costs for all involved. Conversely, critics claim the EU maintains its course, reinforcing existing asymmetries and prioritizing its security. Going beyond such dichotomies, this paper seeks to answer: What are the process(es) of policy learning for the participants in the EMP in the last thirty years? And is policy learning an one-dimensional process? This paper aims to analyse the thirty-year trajectory of the EMP through the lessons, not only acquired by EU policymakers, but also by the most important stakeholders during this period. Our assumption is based on the premise that the EMP is a construction that involves different actors, such as the EU institutions, governments and civil society actors, who have different aspirations and goals from the EMP. In this sense, the repercussions of the EMP have varying effects on these actors, inducing different ideas and assessments of success and failure.