The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, under the Barcelona Process, was launched five years ago as a framework for the co-operation between the two shores of the Mediterranean. The first Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Education and Research took place in June and was co-chaired by the current Council President Annette Schavan, the Egyptian Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for Science and Research. The most important outcome of the Conference was the adoption of the "Cairo Declaration," in which the Euro-Med ministers committed to:

• create a Euro-Mediterranean research and higher education area and endorse the Slovenian initiative for a Euro-Mediterranean university through a co-operation network of existing universities;
• complement the existing monitoring committee for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in RTD with an expert group so as to incorporate higher education into conference objectives, deliverables and actions;
• define higher education, research and innovation as a priority sector within the Euromed Partnership.

Ultimately, the conference aimed to enforce a Euromed higher education and research area, enhance participation of students in the Euromed scholarship scheme, and attain better brain circulation and knowledge dissemination.