Med In the World, published in 2010 by PLURAL European
Study Centre in the framework of Medgovernance project, represents a short but
significant attempt to consider the Euro Mediterranean Basin in a global
overview, comparing the Med area with other relevant basins in different
continents. In fact, the risk of a Eurocentric vision of problems is a
traditional tendency to overestimate the European qualitative issues, with a
lack of comprehension of the overall world dimension.
Conceived as a follow up to the 2007 larger survey
“Europe in the world”, the analysis starts from the dimension of EU territorial
cooperation, making a brief catalogue of the Basin macro region concerned by
transnational and cross border instruments: i.e., the first comparison is
between the Mediterranean and Baltic and North Sea Programmes, also referring
to ENPI instruments in the Black sea and transnational initiatives as Interreg
IVB Caribbean and Indian Ocean Programme. This section reflects, for the most
part, the EU indication about the efficiency and the concrete approach to cohesion
and support to competitiveness given by Lisbon and Gothenburg goals and agenda.
Regionalisation and spatial integration
Individuating comparable basin Areas in a global
context could appear just more than exercise; nevertheless some processes
developed in the different histories of coordinated initiatives might show some
key elements of reflection. Anyway, the geopolitical representation of each
Area must take into account some crucial dimensions. The first dimension is the
regionalization, intended as “regional economic integration” at macro or
regional levels, within the globalization process. This level of survey puts
the stress on the increase of trade and financial flows between States all
situated in the same region (clusters of States). This process can develop
itself on a legal basis (free trade agreements, customs unions, common
marketsB), or without any legal basis, as it is the case in Eastern Asia, where
there is no such agreement at macro regional level yet (between Japan and China
for instance).
A second dimension is defined within cases of spatial
integration, where places are connected by functional economic, demographical,
informational, cultural links, eventually without any institutional support.
This kind of integration involves contiguous portions of space belonging to
different countries. An example of this approach is given by P. Mehlbye (2000)
with the definition of European Global Integration Zones (GIZs). The GIZs are
clusters of metropolitan urban Areas linked by strategic cooperation programs.
This kind of zone offers “high quality global economic functions and services,
which enable a high-income level and a well-developed infrastructure”. The core
Area is characterized by “a denser and more dynamic territorial structure both
in terms of its node (metropolitan regions, cities and towns) and links
(external and internal communication network)”.
Territorial integration and structural polycentrism
A third dimension, strictly linked to the second one
(for some aspects, on the opposite point of view) is given by territorial
integration, which implies several countries in a project set up in order to
face the process of globalization. In other words, the necessity to face
globalization and, consequently, to reach a relevant size (for example, United
States or China) encourages numerous countries to be part of regional
integration zones. As institutional infrastructure, the European Union may
constitute an appropriate model.
The process of integration could also be based on
lighter ties and fewer cooperation programs, involving only a few key sectors,
economic and financial for instance, like trade agreements or customs unions,
or in an EU cooperation framework, Medgovernance project is intended as a pilot
experimentation. Territorial cooperation is supposed to contribute to balanced
regional development, European competitiveness and sustainable development, and
to facilitate new urban-rural partnerships.
A fourth dimension is represented by urban relations
of polycentric systems. These relations can be identified as a) institutional
or b) based on voluntary co-operation; Institutional polycentricism relies on
political co-operation, and on the willingness of territorial agencies to work
together on joint projects and strategies.
The cities may, or may not, be complementary with
regard to urban functions. The Union of the Baltic Cities represents one of the
most advantaged models of this approach. The key aspect is given by the fact
that two or more cities develop common projects in order to build thematic and joint
projects, actions and strategies, to exchange knowledge, best practices etc.
and to share equipment and upgrade infrastructure (cultural, social, transport,
etc.). Within 2007-2013 Italy France Maritime Program, the Union of Tyrrhenian
Cities (UCAT) project follows the same logical framework. On the other hand,
the b) structural polycentricism is related to the organization of a territory
via spatial patterns of economic or functional relations and flows. Structural
relations and flows are not necessarily nested in urban strategies. Rather,
they are “spontaneous” products of overlapping housing or labor markets, of
specialized networking between urban located actors or simply historically
established cultural, economic or social relations. Thus, structural
polycentricism may be identified as road, rail and air traffic, financial
flows, information flows, etc. The fifth dimension is neighborhood, defined as
designating places which are next to each other and eventually form a
contiguous ensemble, that is adjoining regions or also territories that are
close to each other, but which are not necessarily adjoining, if interactions
exist between them.
In the second and the third section of survey the
vision becomes wider, taking in consideration the Association Of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation
(SAARC), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR)
and finally the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
A wider vision
Some key elements of the potentials of the initiatives
are given by several factual examples described in the survey. in particular,
an example may be the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme (CREDP),
devoted to reduce barriers to the increased use of renewable energy, thus
reducing the dependence on fossil fuels while contributing to the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions, or the Immigration and residency Programs in
Mercosur. In conclusion, MED IN THE WORLD’s attempt is to go beyond the
traditional approaches focused on the risks that the Mediterranean area
represents for the European countries, trying to transfer the interregional cooperation
approach based on the individuation and exchange of best practices as
opportunity for Euromediterranean of a cultural and economical regeneration,
activating dialogue and promoting collaboration with its own neighbours. Have
been is a condition to be, as Braudel said, but also: will be is the
destination to be. (MED IN THE WORLD is currently available on
medgov.net)
Francesco
Barilli and Alessandra Trimarchi