The European Union's policy toward the Mediterranean region is largely shaped by the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (Barcelona Process) established as a result of the Barcelona Conference held in November 1995. The Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs marked the starting point of this partnership, resulting in a wide framework of political, economic and social relations between the Member States of the European Union and partners of the Southern Mediterranean.

The MEDA programme is the principal financial instrument of the European Union for the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The programme offers technical and financial support measures to accompany the reform of economic and social structures in the Mediterranean partner countries.

In the area of statistics, European Member States and Mediterranean partners have intensified their relations since 1996. Financed under the MEDA programme, these relations are bundled within the MEDSTAT regional statistical co-operation programme. The statistical co-operation programme was launched in 1996 and aims at comparability and harmonisation of statistics in different statistical sectors as well as improvement of the information system and training sector.
ICstat managed three regional projects in which special attention was paid to coherence, harmonisation and dissemination of data in the following statistical sectors (priority sectors):

Transport, Migration, Non Observed Economy.