Saturday, July 14,

Italy, France and Spain to Form "Mediterranean Union", sub-set of EU.

The ANNOTICO Report

EU Members Italy, France and Spain have formed a sub- southwestern/western european "Mediterranean Union".  Very  encouraging.

For those of us in the USA who look at the USA as a Singular  world power, we have to realize that  the European Union has the largest economy in the world, with an estimated nominal GDP of €11.6 ($14.5) trillion in 2006 accounting for 35% of world GDP (the second largest economy is the USA, with a GDP of $13.2 trillion).The OECD has projected that in 2007 the Eurozone will take over from the US as the driver of world economic growth with its 2.7% GDP growth compared to 2.1 percent in the US.

The Founding Members of the European Union (EU)in 1951 were France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and West Germany.  Expansion took place in 1973 with Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined.

In the 1980s Greece, Spain and Portugal joined.  In 1989, East Germany reunified with Germany, with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In 1995 Austria, Sweden and Finland joined making it 15 nations

In 2004, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Hungry, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Cyprus, Malta made it a total of 25.

In 2007 Bulgaria, and Romania made it 27 countries.

France, Italy Want Closer Ties Among Mediterranean States

EU Business

July 13,  2007

(ROME)  - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said during a visit to Italy on Friday that the two countries had pledged to work for closer ties among Mediterranean states.

"There is an urgent need for a large cooperation project for more security and more prosperity," Fillon said.

France, Italy and Spain wanted to work toward a "Mediterranean union", he said.

Fillon met with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi during the visit.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has talked of a Mediterranean union involving greater cooperation on development, energy and immigration.

Prodi said the proposal would be one of the main topics of discussion at the next France-Italy summit in November.

http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1184346002.12

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