Regional and Country Reports developed through Social Rights Monitor tool - Regional Report
Introduction: an overview of EU-Arab relations
EU-Arab relations have been evolving since the Barcelona Process, yet over the last decade crises on both sides have stimulated significant changes for the partnership. On the European side there was the economic and financial Eurozone crisis and the refugee crisis. On the Southern Mediterranean side the Arab uprisings highlighted the widespread inequalities, lack of social justice and the weakness of their democracies. Wars and conflicts in the region became part of the crisis situation as well.
Developments on the global stage were equally important in shaping the context for the partnership, however. Recently, with the adoption of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, the partnership can be considered within a
broader framework. This is mainly because Agenda 2030 is a universal commitment (undertaken both by the EU and Arab countries) and provides a common framework in which both partners should work to achieve sustainable development for all with commitments towards people, the planet and prosperity
