Cooperation of the European Union and Italy with the Mediterranean countries. Case analysis: Syria

This study is organised in two Parts, comprehensive of four Sections.
In the Part I will discuss the cooperation of the European Union with the Mediterranean countries through the years till present, using a regional approach, and I will give a brief account of the Italian role within the Euro-Mediterranean context.
The second Part will focus on the case of Syria, in particular on its relationship with the European Union, after a short summary of the country political, economic and social contexts. Then, I will start to analyse the economic and commercial relations between Italy and Syria, using a bilateral approach.
The first Section outlines the historical European integration process towards the Mediterranean countries, from the former attempts to create a Euro-Mediterranean partnership to the current Union for the Mediterranean in 2008. The description will be based on the political, economic and social priorities listed in the official documents, adding for each one the critical aspects.
The second Section will focus the Italian participation to the Euro- Mediterranean initiatives and its commercial relations with the greater part of the Mediterranean countries.
I will analyse, in the third Section, the course of Syrian economic reforms, under the Presidency of Bashar Al-Assad since 2000, giving also an account of the political and social context. Then, I will describe the programmes regarding cooperation, that define the current relations between European Union and Syria, underlying that the Association Agreement has so far not been ratified.
Lastly, in the fourth Section, I will focus on Italian market opportunities in Syria, considering the economic liberalization policy underway and the interchange trends between the two countries over the 2004-2007 period.