The meeting took place on the 14^th April in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy in Barcelona.

The focus of the High Level Meeting was on areas of mutual interest between the EU and Southern partners, and mainly on the following issues “Role of private sector in the region in fostering inclusive growth, Public-Private Partnerships and the informal economy”.

President Choucair highlighted: “the private sector has responsibility in regional and national policy.  In this way, common actionsthrough Public-Private partnerships will give astonishing results.

The UfM gathers “around a same vision all the socio-economic platforms in the Mediterranean, multiplying the results by the coherence of their actions." In this sense, the President of ASCAME reminded that the Association "coordinatesits activities with the UfM" Discussing for example that "while the efforts to develop Mediterranean Arbitration were weakening, ASCAME has been establishing the conditions  for registration centres, allowing the UfM to later take over the project."

"The Union of Projectswill be of benefit to all of the countries whichconstitute it,in order to create a homogeneous entity able to comfortably consider the future."

Finally, thanks to the "UfM and the New European Neighbourhood Policy, the Euro-Med has become a reality capable of taking its place in the international stage.

"The effectiveness of the action" is essential in order to "improve the socio-economic conditions of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries". Therefore, we must"take into account the need to improve the "productivity" of the beneficiary countries."

Consequently, the President Choucair hopes that "the next few years, the programs will be indexed to employment, because of the leverage it represents in the "Total Factor Productivity" in the South countries and its direct effect on poverty and exclusion".