The European Union, North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf share many aspirations, challenges and perspectives. A strengthened partnership with these countries remains a strategic imperative for Europe, paving the way towards a common sustainable prosperity, security and resilience.
Southern Neighbourhood Policy
The EU established its privileged partnership with the Eastern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean back in 1995 with the launch of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership at the Barcelona Conference, establishing the goal of an area of peace, stability, economic prosperity, upholding democratic values and human rights.
EU cooperation with the Southern Neighbourhood has then taken place in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), presented in 2004 to strengthen the prosperity, stability and security for all. It includes ten partner countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine*, Syria and Tunisia. With many of the partners the EU also concluded Association Agreements and the Partnership Priorities that set out the framework and priorities of cooperation.
To reinforce the strategic partnership between the European Union and its Southern Neighbourhood partners, the European Commission and the High Representative adopted on 9 February 2021 a Joint Communication proposing a renewed partnership with Southern Neighbourhood based on a new Agenda for the Mediterranean. It included a dedicated Economic and Investment Plan to spur the long-term socio-economic recovery, which also implements the Global Gateway in the Southern Neighbourhood.
Main priorities for cooperation
The ENP review established revised joint priorities for cooperation. They are better suited to the challenges of our time and adapted to the regions evolutions. In addition to good governance, democracy, rule of law and human rights, three other sets of joint priorities have been identified, each of them covering a wide number of cooperation sectors: 1) economic development for stabilisation; 2) the security dimension and 3) migration and mobility.
Bilateral cooperation
Bilateral cooperation with most Neighbourhood countries is framed by Joint Documents (Partnership Priorities, Association Agendas or equivalent). They are concluded between a partner country, the EU and its Member States, setting the political and economic priorities for cooperation.
Multiannual indicative programmes are strategic documents for the period 2021-27. They set cooperation priorities drawn from the Joint Documents, and they can only be concluded after adoption of Joint documents. When Joint Documents are not established with a partner country, cooperation is based on annual special measures.
Furthermore, neighbourhood countries are eligible to participate in EU programmes, such as Erasmus+ , in line with the NDICI-GE Regulation, through funding from geographic envelopes.
Regional cooperation and cross-border cooperation
In addition to bilateral cooperation, the EU also supports regional cooperation. The strategic priorities for regional cooperation are further outlined in the regional multiannual indicative programmes. Regional cooperation complements national assistance programmes, addresses regional challenges, promotes cooperation amongst partners and builds bridges.
The EU also supports cross-border cooperationbetween EU countries and Neighbourhood countries sharing a land border or sea crossing. Cross-border cooperation also covers transnational cooperation over larger transnational territories or around sea basins and interregional cooperation. Aim of CBC programmes is to support sustainable development along the EU’s external borders, reduce differences in living standards and address common challenges across these borders.
Strategic and Comprehensive Partnerships
In the past years, building on the Association Agreements and the Partnership Priorities, Strategic and Comprehensive Partnerships have been signed with Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. These partnerships allow to better integrate EU funding instruments, regulatory cooperation and the reform agenda, while also crowding in private finance. They focus on investment, economic stability, jobs, energy, transport, security, migration and other areas of mutual interest.
The Pact for the Mediterranean
The Pact for the Mediterranean (“the Pact”) is a flagship initiative of the European Commission, jointly developed with the European External Action Service. It represents an ambitious step forward in deepening cooperation and strengthening the EU’s relations with its southern Mediterranean partners, with the potential to expand its scope over time, including towards Gulf countries. Built on a broad and inclusive consultation process involving a wide range of stakeholders, the Pact was officially launched in November 2025 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration. For more information on the Pact and its key initiatives, click here.
Middle East
In addition, the MENA Directorate-General will work with the EEAS on preparation of an EU Middle East Strategy with a view to the day after the war in Gaza, focusing on promoting all the steps needed for a two-state solution and strengthening partnerships with key regional stakeholders. In Iran, a Multiannual Indicative Plan (MIP) was approved in 2021. Since then, EU-Iran relations have deteriorated significantly, and the European Commission has decided to discontinue the MIP. However, the EU continues to support the Afghan refugee population and their host communities in Iran. The EU remains committed to support Iraq, as the country’s economic recovery and the consolidation of its democracy are key to promote stability not only in Iraq, but also in the wider region and in Europe.
The Gulf
The EU has set up its first ever Strategy for the Gulf region in 2022 (Joint Communication on a strategic partnership with the Gulf). The Joint communication sets out a path for the EU to develop a closer, forward-looking partnership with the Gulf countries in several priority areas. These include increasing trade and investment, fighting climate change, ensuring energy security and a smooth green transition, enhancing cooperation on connectivity and digitalization, meeting growing global development and humanitarian needs and promoting peace and stability, including the de-escalation of tensions in the broader region.
The MENA Directorate-General will support the implementation of this Strategy alongside the EEAS and will advance work on strategic partnership agreements with each of the six Gulf countries.
In Yemen, the EU supports sustainable development through a Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus and employing a whole-of-Yemen approach that focuses on resilience, livelihoods, peace and security. This strategy aims to meet immediate needs, while simultaneously supporting bridging measures that contribute towards addressing systemic causes of conflict.
The Gulf is a dynamic region and an important gateway between Europe, Asia and Africa. Its security, stability and prosperity bear direct consequences for Europe.
The promising societal and economic changes underway in the Gulf countries, based on ambitious transformative agendas (‘Visions’), and their further development, offer a wide range of opportunities for cooperation and investment. The EU stands much to gain from stronger cooperation with the Gulf as new developments emerged that inspired stronger cooperation with the Gulf region such as the need for seeking energy security, seizing trade and investment opportunities, addressing climate change, common security challenges and alignment of positions in multilateral fora. More recently, the conflict between Israel and Hamas and destabilizing activities in the Red Sea has demonstrated the major role of many of the Gulf countries in achieving sustainable peace and stability in the region but also beyond.
EU-Gulf relations are currently governed by the 1989 Cooperation Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which provides the legal basis for institutional cooperation between the EU and the GCC. In addition, the EEAS signed bilateral Cooperation Arrangements with the respective Foreign Ministries of the 6 GCC Member States – Bahrain (2021), Kuwait (2016), Saudi Arabia (2021), Oman (2018), Qatar (2018) and the United Arab Emirates (2018).
Bilateral relations between the EU and the GCC and its members have advanced following the EU’s first ever Strategy for the region in 2022 (Joint Communication on a strategic partnership with the Gulf, endorsed with Council Conclusions). The Joint communication sets out a path for the EU to develop a closer, forward-looking partnership with the Gulf countries in several priority areas. These include increasing trade and investment, fighting climate change, ensuring energy security and a smooth green transition, enhancing cooperation on connectivity and digitalization, meeting growing global development and humanitarian needs and promoting peace and stability, including the de-escalation of tensions in the broader region.
The EU has therefore intensified its high-level engagement with its Gulf partners, among others by nominating the first EU Special Representative for the Gulf, Mr Luigi di Maio as of 1 June 2023. The EU bilateral cooperation and dialogue with the Gulf States includes Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) thematic working groups, Human Rights Dialogues (HRD) to enhance and improve cooperation on human rights issues and regular exchanges on regional and international developments at various levels.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a crucial interlocutor for the EU in the Gulf region and beyond, including in multilateral fora (G20). Relations are gaining strength with a good pace of visits and enhanced institutional engagement. The EU’s Joint Communication on a Strategic Partnership with the Gulf (2022) opens additional avenues for strengthened cooperation. The EU Delegation in Riyadh is covering KSA and GCC, but also Oman and Bahrain.
Qatar is an important partner for the EU, playing a relevant and constructive role in the international community’s efforts to find a peaceful resolutions to numerous conflicts. Qatar is also an important partner for Europe to diversify gas supply in line with REPowerEU. In 2023 the EU opened a Delegation in Doha.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)are an important partner for the EU in the region in several fields, notably trade and investment, economic diversification, energy, environment, climate change and security. The EU and the UAE have a joint interest in ensuring stability in the Middle Eastern region and beyond, and strengthen connectivity, including in the context of UAE normalisation of relations with Israel. Since 2016, the EU operates an EU Delegation in Abu Dhabi.
Kuwait has traditionally been a close partner of the EU on several files as it held the first Syria Conference and supported UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) financially. The EU facilitated Kuwaiti accession to the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) during its GCTF co-chairmanship.
Bahrain and the EU share a mutual interest for regional stability, security, and enhanced political and sectoral cooperation, with focus on sustainable development, green transition, education, people to people contacts. Bahrain is an important interlocutor for the EU in the context of its normalisation of relations with Israel. The EU continues to engage constructively with Bahrain on human rights, notably promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Over the years, the EU has forged constructive diplomatic ties with the Sultanate of Oman, key partner which plays an important role in the efforts to reduce tensions, de-escalate conflicts in the region. EU has a good cooperation with Oman regarding hydrogen production, as well as in maritime security.