Role of the European Union in the Sustainable Development of the Southern Mediterranean Case Study: Palestinian Authority

Abstract

Many critical survival issues are related to uneven development, poverty and population growth. They all place unprecedented pressures on the planet's lands, waters, forests and other natural resources. The downward spiral of poverty and environmental degradation is a waste of opportunities and of resources, particularly a waste of human resources. Sustainable development is defined as requirement of meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all the opportunity to satisfy their aspirations for a better life without declining the rights of future generations to satisfy their basic needs as well based upon the available resources. Sustainable development does not focus solely on environmental issues. More broadly, sustainable development policies encompass three general policy areas: economic, environmental and social.

Regional cooperation and partnerships are cornerstones in the pursuit of sustainable development. European integration after the Euro Mediterranean Partnership has led the EU to rethink its policies on trade and aid to developing countries. The EU started outlining new policies for the developing world; it committed itself to reducing inequalities and assisting in the development of the poor and change unsustainable production and consumption patterns in order to effectively integrate the object of sustainable development.