For all the objectives we seek to achieve, the European Union needs partners, and among our various partnerships, the Barcelona Process stands out - both because of the high stakes and the urgency of the problems we have to deal with - but also because of the unique framework we have built over time. In November 1995, I presided over the launching of the Barcelona Process, a visionary venture aimed at building a zone of shared security and solidarity across the Mediterranean. Almost 10 years later, we may look dispassionately upon the past and cast an improved model for the future.

The Process was launched in the wake of the first Gulf war and was founded on the hope that peace in the Middle East was close at hand. Ten years later, we still lack a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the need to come to a peaceful closure is a strategic and urgent priority for Europe. More broadly, the region has again witnessed war, political tensions and strained neighborly relations.

In a world where terrorist threats, permeable physical borders and technological innovation are becoming more relevant as time goes by, the Mediterranean has inevitably become the theater where problems emerging in outlying regions continue to unfold. Insurgency in Iraq has an immediate impact on its neighbors; poverty and political strife in sub-Saharan Africa have become an issue of domestic importance in European and North African countries. Widening welfare gaps between continents and within societies; extremist and fundamentalist ideologies; the globalization of terrorism and a higher ability to purchase lethal weapons - such are the proximate causes of the manifestations of instability and insufficiency we have witnessed so far.

I remain convinced that the best way to tackle these problems at source is by working collaboratively and inclusively. The EU's original calling was to build a partnership that would transcend mere good-neighborly relations, a model we have perfected progressively over time. We started out by pooling our coal and steel resources. Within more than half a century, we were able to forge a political and monetary union, to extend membership fourfold and are now also bound collectively to a European Security Strategy (ESS).

The ESS recognizes new security challenges at the dawn of the 21st century and outlines the principles of the European Union's engagement based on an effective multi-lateral system and the commitment to develop and uphold international law. In an era of globalization, our target is to be more active, more capable and more coherent and to be constantly aware of the importance of geography in the larger picture of things. The ESS cites the Barcelona Process as the framework for a continued engagement with Mediterranean partners while calling for a more effective action altogether.

These last 10 years, societies across the region have become increasingly multi-ethnic and technological progress has made the world a much smaller place. Through the mass media, Internet, travel and migration, people are gradually improving their understanding of other cultures and values. The knowledge gap still exists, but, at least, we are better off on this score than we were 10 years ago. I am pleased to note, in this regard, the launching this year of the Anna Lindh Foundation, which culminates a long-standing project to implement in a very tangible manner one of Barcelona's core values - a dialogue of cultures and civilizations. The Foundation is located in Alexandria, home to another institution promoting knowledge, modernization and dialogue.

Looking ahead, we need to intensify our efforts in the area of security, tackling both the immediate threats and developing a long-term framework to address the root causes of conflicts and instability. We need to deepen and expedite our cooperation, for example on proliferation, land mines and maritime security. We should also renew our efforts to draw up a shared security architecture for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The point of such an overarching agreement would be to give a clearer political direction to existing collaboration - and to open up new avenues for future cooperation.

We need to speed up significantly our efforts to create open, empowered, knowledge-based societies to keep pace with the rapid changes we are witnessing across the globe. As indicated in the UNDP Arab Human Development Report, investing resources in promoting knowledge for development will help improve education standards, eradicate illiteracy, ensure equality between girls and boys and promote international exchanges. The importance of education can never be over-stated.

Despite our best efforts we have not managed to reduce the economic disparities around the Mediterranean perimeter. But encouragingly, a consensus exists about the need to pursue the path of political and economic reform and modernisation. The kind of reform I am thinking about has to be home-grown and adapted to local conditions. Each society must find its own path and move forward at its own pace. But others can and should play a role, in particular, by helping to create a context conducive to the change where change is an aspiration of the citizens. Once change is under way, we should take our cue to offer help and support.

I would like to conclude with some thoughts on civil society. The Barcelona Process is mainly perceived as a vehicle for government-to-government relations. Nevertheless, I see scope and opportunity for civil society to play a growing role. Such an achievement would mark a natural progression and proof of the maturity of our overall relationship. A vibrant civil society has been following Euro-Mediterranean issues since the inception of Barcelona, most notably through the Civil Forums. A survey in Lebanon's L'Orient-Le Jour recently revealed a strong awareness in Lebanon about the euro and Schengen (issues that are close to people's daily realities) but far less familiarity with the history of EU integration and the Barcelona Process.

Now more than ever, we cannot afford to alienate the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership from the people. The Barcelona Process has gone some way to embrace new structures such as the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly that is accountable to citizens across the region. We can do more and better on security, mutual understanding, education, reforms and civil society. The instruments to achieve these goals already exist within the Barcelona Process. It is up to us now to prime these tools and apply them with a sense of vision and effectiveness.

Javier Solana is EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.