The Euro-Mediterranean region brings together countries with different cultural backgrounds and economic, social and political realities that are each developing at a varying pace and integrating with variable geometry. The developments in the Euro-Mediterranean region during the last decade highlight a trend towards more fragmentation, which is widening. The COVID-19 crisis put further pressure on the region and fundamentally questioned the process of regional integration, with the enforcement of lockdowns and mobility restrictions and the overall disruption of global value chains.
In view of this context, the objective of this study is to propose a regional integration matrix to assess the regional integration process in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The Regional Integration Matrix (RIM) builds on a multi-dimensional approach that integrates seven dimensions: governance, trade, FDI, finance, infrastructure, human mobility, higher education and research.