The European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), founded in 1989, is a consortium comprising the Catalan Government, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Barcelona City Council. It incorporates civil society through its Board of Trustees and its Advisory Council formed by Mediterranean universities, companies, organisations and personalities of renowned prestige.

In accordance with the principles of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership's Barcelona Process, and today with the objectives of the Union for the Mediterranean the aim of the IEMed is to foster actions and projects which contribute to mutual understanding, exchange and cooperation between the different Mediterranean countries, societies and cultures as well as to promote the progressive construction of a space of peace and stability, shared prosperity and dialogue between cultures and civilisations in the Mediterranean.

Adopting a clear role as a think tank specialised in Mediterranean relations based on a multidisciplinary and networking approach, the IEMed encourages analysis, understanding and cooperation through the organisation of seminars, research projects, debates, conferences and publications, in addition to a broad cultural programme.

Mission

The European Institute of the Mediterranean is a centre for discussion and debate which aims to encourage actions and projects contributing to mutual understanding, exchanges and cooperation between different Mediterranean countries, societies and cultures. At the same time, it seeks to promote the progressive building in the Mediterranean an area of peace and stability, of shared prosperity and dialogue between cultures and civilisations, whilst contributing to the core goals of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean.

The raison d’être and core object of the European Institute of the Mediterranean is to achieve the following:

• To act as a centre for Mediterranean studies and forecasts at the service of the public administrations, businesses, organisations and associations which carry on their activities in the Mediterranean area.
• To be an observatory for the Euro-Mediterranean process and to promote the Euro-Mediterranean Association from civil society.
• To boost cooperation and economic activity in the Mediterranean.
• To encourage cultural dialogue and promote understanding between Mediterranean societies.
• To organise tour programmes for promising students, graduates, professionals and leaders from Mediterranean countries.
• To award grants, aid and prizes for studies and work on Mediterranean-related cultural, historic, social and economic matters, and to finance research and doctoral theses related to these subjects.
• To make available a library, newspaper archive and documentation centre on Mediterranean subjects.