The Process was launched in 1995 to manage both bilateral and regional relations between the EU and Mediterranean countries. 

With the introduction of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in 2004, the Barcelona Process essentially became the multilateral forum of dialogue and cooperation between the EU and its Mediterranean partners while complementary bilateral relations are managed mainly under the ENP and through Association Agreements signed with each partner country.

The Barcelona Process has four pillars:
• political and security dialogue
• economic and financial partnership
• social, cultural and human partnership
• migration