Revelation 13 (King James Version)
Revelation 13
1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
The Daniel prophesy of the Beast showed us that the Pattern was Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian Kingdom as the Leopard Body, Then Alexander/Greece as Lion, and Rome/Cesa's/Popes as feet of Bear/iron-clay
Nebuchadnezzar was a "Pattern for a Type of Antichrist" When God turned him into "a Beast" for 7 years he lived and ate as a beast of the field. Then he was restored to his Throne until his final death. We see this in the Antichrist/Satan persona who is "chained for a thousand years, takes his throne back shortly and is cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
The current "Image" of the first Beast is seen clearly in the European Union. Europe has ruled since Greece and Roman Empires, in 'chains' so to speak by Caesars, kings,dictators etc...and now the EU plays "Savior" until it is 'entered by Satan and manifests the man of sin, the son of perdition.
Verse 1.Sea...represents peoples,
Beast:Kingdom,(This world/ it's god)
Heads:Principalities,
Horns:Powers,
Crowns Rulers (earthly) and the respective Nations they control.
Principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this World control the earthly rulers through their unregenerate/apostate minds,lusts,desires and ambitions.
Leopard: France, Italy,Spain and those Nations with more loyalty to Catholic Rome. Feet of Bear Socialistic Nations, Secular and or "Other." Mouth as a Lion: NATO Nations led by U.S. & Britain. The Lion represents the World Power with military superiority, whose mouth means leadership of Beast.
Also a Leopard is connected to Nimrod the original Antichrist Type/forerunner, the name Nimrod comes from the Hebrew root word 'Nimre'Beyth Nimrah bayth nim-raw' from 1004 and the feminine of 5246; house of (the) leopard; Beth-Nimrah, a place east of the Jordan:--Beth-Nimrah. Compare 5247.
2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard...like The Spirit of Nimrod and Mystery Babylon the Great Mother of Harlots is Semiramis his wife (apostate Christianity and friends)and Tammuz takes 'False Prophet to round out this tri-union of evil.When the EU beast arose from the sea/peoples there were 6... Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West ( Free ) Germany.
5The European Union was formally established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force on 1 November 1993,[8] and in 1995 Austria, Sweden, and Finland joined the newly established EU. In 2002, euro notes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. Since then, the eurozone had increased to encompass seventeen countries. In 2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary joined the Union.[35]
So coming out of the Sea(European peoples)we see first 17 nations and then ten more taking it to 27 corresponding with the heads, horns and crowns of the "BEAST."
Rev 18:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. { here we see the first 17 nations on the "Whore" These are "Christianized Apostate powers."
12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
The Ten Kings who make 27, will turn on the Christianized Nations who ride the Whore's beast The western EU nations, or this is symbolical that they annul Christianity by setting up Ecumenical World Religion, causing an "abomination of desolation as Christ worship will cease. "The daily sacrafice.
Daniel 11 is showing us in 'Type and Shadow' how the last military campaign that will be waged where "the armies of Nations shall encompass Jerusalem" will shape up.
Daniel 11
1Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
2And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.
3And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
4And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.
5And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
6And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times.
7But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail:
8And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.
9So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.
10But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
11And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
12And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
13For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
14And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
15So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.
16But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.
17He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.
18After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.
19Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
20Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.
21And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flattery's.
22And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
23And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
25And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.
26Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
27And both of these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
28Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.
29At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
30For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
31And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
32And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
33And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
34Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
35And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
36And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
40And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Until the hostilities begin this is hard to decipher, "shut up the words of the book until the end."
Now the three kings standing upp in Persia represent Islamic Nations which we see right now there is a power shift until "one mighty King" gets all to join, and we know it is for the destruction of Israel.
Enter the EU... At first it will be for peace! "He will come in Peace" Then causes Ten Kings to destroy the Apostate Christian Coalition (Mystery Babylon) and Then...
Ch 12 1And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
This is the Last Day! Rapture has taken place and Christ with us and Angels have won the Battle.
The last time period of the reign of Antichrist is number with 42. He will reign 42 months or 3 1/2 years. 42 is 4+2=6 6 is the number of man. And 666 is the number of the Beast, and his Name.
666 was first associated in scripture with 666 talents of Gold in Solomon's Treasury right before he became apostate. And 666 is next the measurement of the Idol Image of Nebuchadnezzar with his head of GOLD. 666 is Mammon! The name/authority of Beast is based in control of economy/oil/Gold.
excerpt from signs of the Times Steven Masone End Time Truth.
666 is stamped all over EU dollars, the European Union is the image of "Mystery Babylon" complete with the mark of 666.
The first biblical reference to 666 is when Solomons treasury was filled with 666 talents of gold. The second is Nebuchadnezzars image with the head of gold measuring 666 cubits.
The EU's monetary system and those who control it, have already stripped Greece of it's sovereignty, where they can not buy or sell in the market with out permission.
The EU Presidential flag is "The Bar Code flag" which has the mathematical numbering 666. The Euro 20 dollar bill has 666 embedded in symbols of "stars of six shaded in blue and six shaded in gold on front, and six on back in white = 666. Also the "Arches have 666 embedded with the round sphere like shapes at top of pillars.
The secret societies that have their roots in Babylon mystery Religion believe the power of 666 must be manifested even if hidden by secret symbols, evidenced by Masonic / Luciferian symbols. With 666 attached to the "worlds" financial system and it's currency, they lay claim to control of the same.
When Jesus paid taxes...he said,"give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." The coin had Caesar's Image! As also we see that the Image of Nebuchadnezzar, made of Gold was in cubit's 666. Bowing down to the financial system of this end-time in the form of a one-world government is at hand. { End excerpt }
Rome has won back most of Europe in loyalty through the University funded and financed by Vatican and has groomed it's leaders through secret societies. " Coimbra Group (CG) is a network of 39 European universities, some among the oldest and most prestigious in Europe. It was founded in 1985 and formally constituted by charter in 1987.
The group took its name from the city of Coimbra, Portugal, and its university, one of the oldest in Europe.
Eph 6:12 Ephesians 6:12 (King James Version)
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Rome (demonic principality)controls all EU except UK and Germany, who are tied to the secret societies of Protestant persuasion. (Same devil)
Recommendation 666
Recommendation 666 is a reply from the WEU (Western European Union)(Ten Nations/Kings) to the Council of the European Union. The WEU told the EU, via. Recommendation 666, that they would be the military muscle for the EU, and in the event of an emergency, the power of the 10 nation WEU would be directed by the Secretary General of the European Union, also known as the High Representative for the Common and Foreign Security Policy. The office of High Representative was created by a separate EU legal document #666 in 1998.
The Western European Union members are All of them were members of both NATO and the European Union. These are the only nations that had full voting rights.
Belgium
France
Germany
Greece (1995)
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal (1990)
Spain (1990)
United Kingdom
Ten Nations! These will replace NATO which will diminish U.S. involvement jeopardizing our interests, ie Israel and other free democracies.
So once again when we see American power in Europe wane, her enemies will rise;and most people reporting and reading the news sense that the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous place.
Neither the United Nations, nor American projection of power, have prevented strife or resolved major problems facing mankind.
Few today realize that momentous and totally unexpected events lurk just over the horizon. Even foreign policy experts who see potential danger ahead admit they have no clear idea what the future holds. However, Bible prophecies reveal, in striking detail, sobering events that are about to unfold on the world scene.
Earth-shaking changes are going to catapult Europe—and Germany—back to the center of the world stage. These sudden and surprising developments will have grave implications for America, Britain and peoples of northwest European descent. These events are developing according to a plan, and for reasons, that God outlined long ago in the Bible. This dramatic turn in world events is prophesied to precede Jesus Christ’s return to Earth. You need to understand not only what is going to happen, but why. You cannot afford to ignore the direction in which world events are moving.
Jesus said, “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6: 47-49.
Luke 21: 34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Tags: In the UN Assembly Chambers seat 666 remains empty.
Revelation 13:12 >> This is the second Beast... Islam which has the ten Kings who destroy Mystery Babylon. ( Apostate Church)
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
<< Revelation 17 >>
15 And he saith to me, 'The waters that thou didst see, where the whore doth sit, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues;' 16 and the ten horns that thou didst see upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her in fire, 17 for God did give into their hearts to do its mind, and to make one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast till the sayings of God may be complete, 18 and the woman that thou didst see is the great city that is having reign over the kings of the land.'
Mediterranean Union
A proposal to establish a "Mediterranean Union" was part of the election campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy during the French presidential election campaign in 2007. During the campaign Mr. Sarkozy said that the Mediterranean Union would be modelled on the European Union with a shared judicial area and common institutions.[19] Sarkozy saw Turkish membership of the Mediterranean Union as an alternative to membership of the European Union, which he opposes,[19] and as a forum for dialogue between Israel and its Arab Neighbours.[20]
Once elected, President Sarkozy invited all heads of state and government of the Mediterranean region to a meeting in June 2008 in Paris, with a view to laying the basis of a Mediterranean Union.[21]
The Mediterranean Union was enthusiastically supported by Egypt and Israel.[22] Turkey strongly opposed the idea and originally refused to attend the Paris conference until it was assured that membership of the Mediterranean Union was not being proposed as an alternative to membership of the EU.[23]
However the European Commission and Germany were more cautious about the project. TheEuropean Commission saying that while initiatives promoting regional co-operation were good, it would be better to build them upon existing structures, notable among them being the Barcelona process. German chancellor Angela Merkel said the MU risked splitting and threatening the core of the EU. In particular she objected to the potential use of EU funds to fund a project which was only to include a small number of EU member states.[26] When Slovenia took the EU presidency at the beginning of 2008, the then Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša added to the criticism by saying: "We do not need a duplication of institutions, or institutions that would compete with EU, institutions that would cover part of the EU and part of the neighbourhood."[27]
Other criticisms of the proposal included concern about the relationship between the proposed MU and the existing Euromediterranean Partnership, which might reduce the effectiveness of EU policies in the region and allow the southern countries to play on the rivalries to escape unpopular EU policies. There were similar economic concerns in the loss of civil society and similar human rights based policies. Duplication of policies from the EU's police and judicial area was a further worry.[28]
[edit]The proposal gets scaled down
At the start of 2008 Sarkozy began to modify his plans for the Mediterranean Union due to widespread opposition from other EU member states and the European Commission. At the end of February of that year, France's minister for European affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, stated that "there is no Mediterranean Union" but rather a "Union for the Mediterranean" that would only be "completing and enriching" to existing EU structures and policy in the region.[29] Following a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel it was agreed that the project would include all EU member states, not just those bordering the Mediterranean, and would be built upon the existing Barcelona process. Turkey also agreed to take part in the project following a guarantee from France that it was no longer intended as an alternative to EU membership.[23]
The proposed creation of common institutions,[30] and a Mediterranean Investment, which was to have been modelled on the European Investment Bank, was also dropped.[31]
In consequence the new Union for the Mediterranean would consist of regular meeting of the entire EU with the non-member partner states, and would be backed by two co-presidents and a secretariat.
[edit]The Union for the Mediterranean is launched
At the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean (13 July 2008), the 43 Heads of State and Government from the Euro-Mediterranean region decided to launch the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean. It was presented as a new phase Euro-Mediterranean Partnership with new members and an improved institutional architecture in order to "enhance multilateral relations, increase co-ownership of the process, set governance on the basis of equal footing and translate it into concrete projects, more visible to citizens. Now is the time to inject a new and continuing momentum into the Barcelona Process. More engagement and new catalysts are now needed to translate the objectives of the Barcelona Declaration into tangible results."[13]
The Paris summit was considered a diplomatic success for Nicolas Sarzoky.[32] The French president had managed to gather in Paris all the Heads of State and Government from the 43 Euro-Mediterranean countries, with the exception of the kings of Morocco and Jordan. In addition to the high level of attendance, Sarkozy was also able to foster the establishment of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon.[33]
At the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Foreign Affairs held in Marseilles in November 2008, the Ministers decided to shorten the initiative’s name to simply the "Union for the Mediterranean".[3]
[edit]Aims and the six concrete projects
The fact that the Union for the Mediterranean is launched as a new phase of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership means that the Union accepts and commits to maintain the acquis of Barcelona, the purpose of which is to promote "peace, stability and prosperity" throughout the region (Barcelona, 2). Therefore, the four chapters of cooperation developed in the framework of the Barcelona Process during thirteen years remain valid:[13]
- Politics and Security
- Economics and Trade
- Socio-cultural
- Justice and Interior Affairs. This fourth chapter was included at the 10th Anniversary Euro-Mediterranean Summit held in Barcelona in 2005.
The objective to establish a Free Trade Area in the Euro-Mediterranean region by 2010 (and beyond), first proposed at the 1995 Barcelona Conference, was also endorsed by the Paris Summit of 2008.[13]
In addition to these four chapters of cooperation, the 43 Ministers of Foreign Affairs gathered in Marseilles on November 2008 identified six concrete projects that target specific needs of the Euro-Mediterranean regions and that will enhance the visibility of the Partnership:[34]
- De-pollution of the Mediterranean. This broad project encompasses many initiatives that target good environmental governance, access to drinkable water, water management, pollution reduction and protection of the Mediterranean biodiversity.[1]
- Maritime and land highways. The purpose of this project is to increase and improve the circulation of commodities and people throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region by improving its ports, and building highways and railways. Specifically, the Paris and Marseilles Declarations refer to the construction of both a Trans-Maghrebi railway and highway systems, connecting Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.[1]
- Civil protection. The civil protection project aims at improving the prevention, preparedness and response to both natural and man-made disasters. The ultimate goal is to "bring the Mediterranean Partner Countries progressively closer to the European Civil Protection Mechanism.[35]
- Alternative energies: Mediterranean solar plan. The goal of this project is to promote the production and use of renewable energies. More specifically, it aims at turning the Mediterranean partner countries into producers of solar energy and then circulating the resulting electricity through the Euro-Mediterranean region.[1]
- Higher education and research: Euro-Mediterranean University. On June 2008 the Euro-Mediterranean University was inaugurated in Piran (Slovenia), which offers graduate studies programs. The Foreign Ministers gathered at Marseilles on 2008 also called for the creation of another Euro-Mediterranean University in Fes, Morocco.[36] At the Paris summit, the 43 Heads of State and Government agreed that the goal of this project is to promote higher education and scientific research in the Mediterranean, as well as to establish in the future a "Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education, Science and Research Area."[13]
- The Mediterranean business development initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to promote small and medium-sized enterprises from the Mediterranean partner countries by "assessing the needs of these enterprises, defining policy solutions and providing these entities with resources in the form of technical assistance and financial instruments." [13]
[edit]Institutions
In contrast with the Barcelona Process, one of the biggest innovations of the Union for the Mediterranean is its institutional architecture. It was decided at the Paris Summit to provide the Union with a whole set of institutions in order to up-grade the political level of its relations, promote a further co-ownership of the initiative among the EU and Mediterranean partner countries and improve the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership’s visibility.[13][37]
[edit]Biennial Summits of Heads of State and Government
A summit of Heads of State and Government are intended to be held every two years to foster political dialogue at the highest level. According to the Paris Declaration:
- these summits should produce a joint declaration addressing the situation and challenges of the Euro-Mediterranean region, assessing the works of the Partnership and approving a two-year work program;[38]
- Ministers of Foreign Affairs should meet annually to monitor the implementation of the summit declaration and to prepare the agenda of subsequent summits;[38] and
- the host-country of the summits would be chosen upon consensus and should alternate between EU and Mediterranean countries.[38]
The first summit was held in Paris in July 2008. The second summit should have taken place in a non-EU country in July 2010 but the Euro-Mediterranean countries agreed to hold the summit in Barcelona on 7 June 2010, under the Spanish presidency of the EU, instead.[39]However, on 20 May the Egyptian and French co-presidency along with Spain decided to postpone the summit. A move which they described as being intended to give more time to the indirect talks between Israel and Palestine that had started that month. In contrast the Spanish media blamed the postponement on the Arab threat to boycott the summit if Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the Foreign Affairs conference prior to the summit.[40]
After the initial postponement, both France and Spain announced their intention to hold peace talks between Israel and Palestine as part of the postponed summit under the auspices of the US. In September U.S. President Barack Obama was invited to the summit for this purpose. The summit which was then scheduled to take place in Barcelona on 21 November 2010,[41] was according to Nicolas Sarkozy, the summit was "an occasion to support the negotiations."[42]
Nevertheless, at the beginning of November 2010 the peace talks stalled, and the Egyptian co-presidents conditioned the occurrence of the summit on a gesture from Israel that would allow the negotiations to resume. According to some experts Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of the construction of 1,300 new settlements in East Jerusalem ended all the possibilities of celebrating the summit on 21 November.[43] The two co-presidencies and Spain decided on 15 November to postpone the summit sine die, alleging that the stagnation of the Middle East Peace Process would hinder a "satisfactory participation."[44]
[edit]North and South Co-presidency system
With the purpose of guaranteeing the co-ownership of the Union for the Mediterranean, the Heads of State and Government decided in Paris that two countries, one from the EU and one from the Mediterranean partner countries, will jointly preside the Union for the Mediterranean. The 27 agreed that the EU co-presidency had to "be compatible with the external representation of the European Union in accordance with the Treaty provisions in force."[13] The Mediterranean partner countries decided to chose by consensus and among themselves a country to hold the co-presidency for a non-renewable period of two years."[13]
At the time of the Paris summit, France — which was in charge of the EU presidency — and Egypt held the co-presidency. Since then, France had been signing agreements with the different rotator presidencies of the EU (the Czech Republic, Sweden and Spain) in order to maintain the co-presidency for two years alongside Egypt.[1] The renewal of the co-presidency was supposed to happen on the second Union for the Mediterranean Summit. However, due to the two postponements of the summit, there has been no chance to decide which countries will take over the co-presidency. Spain had planned to replace France as the EU co-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean. However,Belgium — the country presiding the EU for the second semester of 2010 — has opposed the Spanish aspirations.
[edit]Secretariat
The task of the permanent Secretariat is to identify and monitor the implementation of concrete projects for the Euro-Mediterranean region, and to search for partners to finance these projects.[45]
The Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of Foreign Affairs decided at the Marseilles conference of November 2008 that the headquarters of the Secretariat would be in at the Royal Palace of Pedralbes in Barcelona.[46] They also agreed on the structure of this new key institution and the countries of origin of its first members:
- The Secretary General is elected upon consensus from a non-EU country. His term is for three years, which may be extended for other three.[45] The first Secretary General was theJordanian Ahmad Khalaf Masa'deh, the former Ambassador of Jordan to the EU, Belgium, Norway and Luxembourg, and Minister of Public Sector Reform from 2004–2005.[47] He resigned after one year in office.[48]
- In order to enhance the co-ownership of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, six posts of Deputy Secretaries General have been assigned to three countries from the EU and three countries from the Mediterranean partner countries. For the first term of three years (extendible to other three) the Deputy Secretaries General are:[49]
- Panagiotis Roumeliotis (Greece), in charge of energy issues, including renewable energies.
- Ilan Chet (Israel), responsible for the higher education and scientific research portfolio.
- Lino Cardarelli (Italy) in charge of the economic portfolio.
- Cecilia Attard-Pirotta (Malta), social and civil affairs.
- Rafiq al Husseini (Palestinian Authority), in charge of water and environmental issues.
- Mehmet Yigit Alpogan (Turkey), responsible for the transport portfolio.
The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean was inaugurated on March 2010 in an official ceremony in Barcelona.[50]
[edit]Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly
The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) is not a new institution inside the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership framework. It was established in Naples on 3 December 2003 by the Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of Foreign Affairs and had its first plenary session in Athens on 22–23 March 2004. The EMPA gathers parliamentarians from the Euro-Mediterranean countries and has four permanent committees on the following issues:[51]
- Political Affairs, Security and Human Rights
- Economic, Financial and Social Affairs and Education
- Promotion of the Quality of Life, Human Exchanges and Culture
- Women's Rights in the Euro-Mediterranean Countries
The EMPA also has an ad hoc committee on Energy and Environment. Since the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean, the EMPA’s role has been strengthened for it is considered the "legitimate parliamentary expression of the Union".[13]
[edit]Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly
At the Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Affairs Conference held in Marseilles on November 2008, the Ministers welcomed the EU Committee of the Regions proposal to establish a Euro-Mediterranean Assembly of Local and Regional Authorities (ARLEM in French). Its aim is to bridge between the local and regional representatives of the 43 countries with the Union for the Mediterranean and EU institutions.[52]
The EU participants are the members of the EU Committee of the Regions, as well as representatives from other EU institutions engaged with the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. From the Mediterranean partner countries, the participants are representatives of regional and local authorities appointed by their national governments. The ARLEM was formally established and held its first plenary session in Barcelona on 31 January 2010. The ARLEM's co-presidency is held by the President of the EU Committee of the Regions, Luc Van den Brande, and the Moroccan mayor of Al Hoceima, Mohammed Boudra.[53]
[edit]Anna Lindh Foundation
The Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, with headquarters are in Alexandria, Egypt, was established in April 2005. It is a network for the civil society organisations of the Euro-Mediterranean countries, aiming at the promotion of intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.[54]
At the Paris Summit it was agreed that the Anna Lindh Foundation, along with the UN Alliance of Civilizations will be in charge of the cultural dimension of the Union for the Mediterranean.[13]
In September 2010 the Anna Lindh Foundation published a report called "EuroMed Intercultural Trends 2010."[55] This evaluation about mutual perceptions and the visibility of the Union of the Mediterranean across the region is based on a Gallup Public Opinion Survey in which 13,000 people from the Union of the Mediterranean countries participated.
[edit]Funding
The Paris Declaration states that contributions for the Union for the Mediterranean will have to develop the capacity to attract funding from "the private sector participation; contributions from the EU budget and all partners; contributions from other countries, international financial institutions and regional entities; the Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership Facility (FEMIP); the ENPI", among other possible instruments,[13]
- The European Commission contributes to the Union for the Mediterranean through the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI). In July 2009 the ENPI allocated €72 million for the following Union for the Mediterranean projects during 2009–2010:[56]
- De-pollution of the Mediterranean (€22 million).
- Maritime and land highways (€7.5 million).
- Alternative energies: Mediterranean Solar Plan (€5 million).
- Euro-Mediterranean University of Slovenia (€1 million)
- The European Investment Bank contributes to the Union for the Mediterranean through its Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP). Specifically, the FEMIP was mandated by the Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of Finance on 2008 to support three of the six concrete projects: the de-pollution of the Mediterranean; alternative energies; and maritime and land highways.[57]
- The InfraMed Infrastructure Fund was established in June 2010 by five financial entities: the French Caisse des Dépôts, the Moroccan Caisse de Dépôts et de Gestion, the Egyptian EFG Hermes, the Italian Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and the European Investment Bank. On an initial phase, the Fund will contribute €385 million to the Secretariat's projects on infrastructure.[58]
- The World Bank has allocated $750 million for the renewable energy project through the Clean Technology Fund.[1]
[edit]Impact of conflicts between member countries
Among the 43 member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, there are three unresolved conflicts that hinder the works of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: the { Arab-Israeli,} " Take Israel out of the Union ( Dan 7
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute[d] the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time. )
Shall persecute[d] the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time. )
Leaving 42 member states in The Mediterranean Union
42 Months is 3 1/2 YEARS reign of Antichrist...42 is always associated with types of Antichrist.
The Beast has 7 heads 10 horns and 10 crowns 27..the number of EU member Nations.
Cyprus-Turkish and Western Sahara (which, unlike Palestine, is not part of the Union for the Mediterranean.)[59] The European Union Ambassador to Morocco, Eneko Landaburu, stated on September 2010 that he does "not believe" in the Union for the Mediterranean. According to him, the division among the Arabs "does not allow to implement a strong inter-regional policy", and calls to leave this ambitious project of 43 countries behind and focus on bilateral relations.[60]
The fact that all the decisions, from the lowest to the highest level, in the Union for the Mediterranean are taken "by the principle of consensus"[13] facilitates the blockage of the Partnership’s work every time tensions rise between the countries involved in these conflicts.[61]
Due to its seriousness, the Arab-Israeli conflict is the one that most deeply affects the Union for the Mediterranean.[61] As a result of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, the Arab Group refused to meet at high level, thus blocking all the ministerial meetings scheduled for the first half of 2009.[62] As well, the rejection among the Arab Ministers of Foreign Affairs to meet with their Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, resulted in the cancellation of two ministerial meetings on Foreign Affairs on November 2009 and June 2010.[63] Sectorial meetings of the Union for the Mediterranean have also been affected by the Arab-Israeli conflict. At the Euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting on Water, held in Barcelona on April 2010, the Water Strategy was not approved due to a terminological disagreement of whether to refer to the occupied Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese territories as "occupied territories" or "territories under occupation."[64] Two other ministerial meetings, on higher education and agriculture, had to be cancelled because of the same discrepancy.[65]
The conflict between Turkey and Cyprus has been responsible for the delay in the endorsement of the statutes of the Secretariat,[66] which were only approved in March 2010 even though the Marseille declaration set May 2009 as the deadline for the Secretariat to start functioning.[67] At the Paris summit, the Heads of State and Government agreed to establish five Deputy Secretaries General from Greece,Israel, Italy, Malta and the Palestinian Authority. Turkey's desire to have a Deputy Secretary General and Cyprus' rejection of it, resulted in months of negotiation until Cyprus finally approved the creation of a sixth Deputy Secreaty General post assigned to a Turkish citizen.[66]
Western Sahara is a source of conflict between Algeria and Morocco. The lack of diplomatic relations among these two countries, along with the unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of Western Sahara, prevent the implementation of any intra-Maghreb projects,[68] such as the railway and highway initiatives, as the stagnation of the Arab Maghreb Union proves.[69]
[edit]List of Sectorial Ministerial meetings
- Economic-Financial Meeting, 7 October 2008, Luxembourg. Conclusions.
- Industry, 5–6 November 2008, Nice (France). Conclusions.
- Employment and Labor, 9–10 November 2008, Marrakech (Morocco). Conclusions.
- Health, 11 November 2008, Cairo (Egypt). Conslusions.
- Water, 22 December 2008, Amman (Jordan). Conclusions.
- Sustainable Development, 25 June 2009, Paris (France). Conclusions.
- Economic-Financial Meeting, 7 July 2009, Brussels (Belgium). Conslusions.
- Strengthening the Role of Women in Society, 11–12 November, Marrakech (Morocco). Conclusions.
- Trade, 9 December 2009, Brussels (Belgium). Conclusions.
- Water, 21–22 April 2010, Barcelona (Spain).
- Tourism, 20 May 2010, Barcelona (Spain).
