The paper analyses the key statements, decisions, measures and actions adopted by the European Union in response to the Arab uprisings and assesses the relevance of this response according to the expectations both in the EU and the southern Mediterranean countries.

According to Lannon, the Arab Spring happened when Europe was facing one of the most difficult periods in its recent history due to the economic and financial crisis and a crisis of legitimacy. However, the EU responded to the situation in southern Mediterranean countries by adopting a series of remarkable initiatives such as the appointment of an EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean, reinforced the role of the EU in accompanying democratic reforms, revised its Neighbourhood Policy and implemented a series of programmes and projects such as the SPRING programme to strengthen reform processes and empower Southern Mediterranean civil societies.

The concluding section of the paper reviews the major challenges for the EU in view of a changing regional and international context and outlines the main features of a future “pan-Euro-Mediterranean” region.