The Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry – ASCAME – was founded on 1rst of October 1982, as an initiative of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with its counterparts from different Mediterranean countries.Today, 30 years since its creation, ASCAME has become a key actor in the Mediterranean area and is now one of the most representative and geographically widespread international organisations, with a membership of more than 200 Chambers of Commerce and other associated bodies from 23 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

1. The Association of the
Mediterranean Chambers of
Commerce and Industry
1982-2012

2. INTRODUCTION
 ASCAME was founded in 1982 as an initiative of the Chamber
of Commerce of Barcelona and thanks to the support of five
Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce.
 ASCAME has become the most important representative of
the Mediterranean private sector and a reference in the
regional economic cooperation of the region, with over 300
chambers of commerce and other organizations associated with
the 23 countries of the Mediterranean.
 ASCAME is the only regional organization that brings together
North-South private sector institutions in the world,
belonging to three continents: Europe, Africa and Asia,
representing more than 25 million companies.

3. INTRODUCTION
 In 1982, ASCAME showed a strategic vision of North-South
partnership and integration, which was subsequently
confirmed by the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership in 1995, and today by the Process of Barcelona :
Union for the Mediterranean.
 Nowadays ASCAME works with the most important
organizations and international institutions, aimed to the
social and economic development of the Mediterranean
region, among others, the EU, the UfM, the EIB, the World
Bank, the Arab League etc.. also being present in multiple
high level workgroups.

4. ACTION PLAN
 ASCAME launches every year a number of initiatives, which
encourage the economic institutional and commercial
contacts throughout the Mediterranean region and other
parts of the world (Projects of economic regional
cooperation, training programs, business forums, etc).
 In 2010 and 2011, more than 6,500 companies,
representatives of the public and private sector have
participated in activities of our network.
 Barcelona is the social headquarter and the General
Secretariat of ASCAME, responsible for developing and
executing the strategic plan and the annual action plan.

5. MISSION
 To be the representative of the private sector in front of
the policy makers. Promoting companies, we contribute
to the development of the Mediterranean.
 Strengthen the role of the chambers of commerce in the
Mediterranean as representatives of all businesses,
whatever their size is, regardless the sector and in the
general interest of the economy, and also as a main agent
for the economic and industrial development in the
countries of the Mediterranean region.

6. MISSION
 To bring together all the stakeholders of the private sector
of the Mediterranean region, contributing to the cooperation
and to the development of the private sector in the
Mediterranean region.
 To promote the Mediterranean and its companies worldwide
to face competition from other economic areas.
 To defend the Mediterranean economic integration with an
area of free trade exchange, as well as the recovery of the
Euro-Mediterranean association with the Barcelona Process:
Union for the Mediterranean

7. STRATEGIC LINES
 ASCAME is already consolidated as an entity that represents
the interests of the chambers of commerce and of the
private sector of the Mediterranean.
 ASCAME is certified as an economic partner of the EU and of
international organizations in the implementation of
economic cooperation projects.
 The organization has approved during the last General
Assembly in Istanbul, the Strategic Plan 2012-2016, in order
to provide new tools and cooperation projects that will
strengthen economic integration and the Euro-Mediterranean
Association.

8. ASCAME WITH THE SMEs
During the last 30 years, ASCAME worked actively in
order to provide tools capable of bringing effective
answers to the challenges that Chambers of
Commerce and, particularly, Mediterranean SMEs
have to face.

9. PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
 The MEDITERRANEAN WEEK OF ECONOMIC LEADER has
become a major economic event in the Mediterranean
region.
 This year, the sixth edition will play a vital role in line
with the latest regional transformations, offering again an
unique platform for reflection and exchange of
experiences, addressing critical issues like good governance,
youth employment, SMEs’ development, city management
values, and human resources skills, by sharing best
practices, proposing concrete projects and creating new
business opportunities.

10. PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
 Regional programmes with the EU (INVEST-IN-MED, IEVP,
MED, etc.)
 ASCAME has been the main contributor to the INVEST IN
MED and the ENPI programmes
 ASCAME and its network just won Euro-med projects like
Invest in Med, Med program, strategic IEVP, etc. These
projects are linked with sectors such as agro-food, waste, or
renewable energy

11. PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
 The Mediterranean Tourism Forum: MEDITOUR
 The Mediterranean Textile Industry Forum: MEDITEX
 The Mediterranean Transport and Logistics Forum: MEDALOGISTIC
 The Economic Forum of the Mediterranean City: MEDACITY
 The Mediterranean Women entrepreneurs Forum: MEDA WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS FORUM
 The Mediterranean Forum of the Green Energy: ECO MEDA GREEN FORUM
 And 20 other sectoral Mediterranean Forums

12. OTHER PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
 Project for the creation of a Mediterranean Tourism brand
 Project for the creation of a Mediterranean Arbitration Center
 Project for the creation of a Mediterranean International
Commerce Institute
 Project for the creation of a Mediterranean center of private-
public partnership
ASCAME participates in the commissions for the creation of:
 A Bank for the Mediterranean development
 An agency of Mediterranean Tourism
 A Mediterranean agency for SMEs
 A Mediterranean agency for the Urban Development
 Other projects

13. CONTACTS
 Presidency ASCAME:
Address: 1 Justinien street
Sanayeh– 111801 Beirut, Lebanon
Telephone: 00 961 1 353 390 Ext. 164
E-mail: presidency@ascame.org
 General Secretariat ASCAME:
Address: Av. Diagonal, 452
08006 Barcelona, Spain
Telephone: 00 34 934 169 556
E-mail: secretariat@ascame.org

14. CONCLUSION