Th e paper is focused on the future of the EU, the lessons learned from its own experience, and its role in the geographical area of Africa, Mediterranean, and Europe. Th e conceptual framework is based on the Th eory of Economic Integration, the Th eory of Optimum Currency Areas, the Th eory of European Monetary Unifi cation, and the Economic Integration in the developing countries. Th e paper illustrates EU’s rich experiences on issues such as legitimacy and security, monetary union, real convergence, social cohesion, and fiscal union. Additionally, the paper argues that one of the main strategies of the EU is the development of the so-called “vertical” dimension, to build a strong regional integration North-South to ensure greater security and economic development.