This example should be followed in Central and Eastern Europe, and in the Mediterranean area, where a Mediterranean gas hub is in the making.

Many Mediterranean areas, for example, which are in the northern periphery of that zone or the southern periphery of that zone, as well as some tropical areas, are expected to experience reductions in precipitation and consequent losses of cultivatable land and reductions in productivity.

The underlying vision is one of heading towards a Euro-Mediterranean area where European and Mediterranean SMEs can start, expand, create jobs, export, import, invest, build business partnerships across the Euro-Mediterranean area.

3. Recalling that the Helsinki Final Act states that " security in Europe is to be considered in the broader context of world security and is closely linked with security in the Mediterranean as a whole, and that accordingly the process of improving security should not be confined to Europe but should extend to other parts of the world, in particular to the Mediterranean area,"

6. CONSIDERS that, to this end, the Commission should draw up a priority action programme for the Mediterranean area which should be prepared within a term of 18 months, taking into account the decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention on 9 June 1995, with the appropriate participation of governments and interested institutions and the public, and which should be submitted to the Council and approved as soon as possible thereafter through whatever mechanism is established to follow up the Euromediterranean Conference. 7. CONSIDERS that the priority actions should include the following areas in the above ment ...[+++]ioned programme: - integrated management of waters, soils and coastal areas; - management of waste; - prevention of, and struggle against air pollution and pollution in the Mediterranean Sea; - natural heritage, landscapes and sites conservation and management; - Mediterranean forest protection, conservation and restoration, in particular through prevention and control of erosion, soil degradation and forest fires; - transfer of Community experience in financing techniques, legislation and environmental monitoring; - integration of environmental concerns in all policies.

II. COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY A. RELATIONS WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES The European Council confirms the importance it attaches to the close links already existing with its Mediterranean partners and its wish to develop them still further so that the Mediterranean area may become an area of cooperation guaranteeing peace, security, stability and well-being.