MAIN EVENTS
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16 October 2025
Iniziative (EN) -
Maison de la Paix (EN)
The “United States of the World” and the “Fondazione Mediterraneo” – committed to the Mediterranean for 40 years with over 11,000 events organised – support in principle this initiative by the European Commission and the High Representative, which today presented an ambitious new strategy to strengthen the EU's relations with its partners in the southern Mediterranean. Building on our historical and cultural ties, the Mediterranean Pact will focus on areas of mutual interest where we share challenges and aspirations.
The Mediterranean Pact will strengthen cooperation and economic ties between the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. It will contribute to building a connected, prosperous, resilient and secure common Mediterranean area.
The pact is based on the principles of co-ownership, co-creation and joint responsibility. It takes a practical approach, focusing on concrete initiatives that will bring added value to people and economies on all shores of the Mediterranean. The aim is to create mutual benefits, from clean energy production to unlocking private investment. This will be achieved by mobilising regional projects that create opportunities for citizens and businesses, with a particular focus on young people, women and small businesses.
In addition, the pact also offers an opportunity to further advance our cooperation on security, preparedness and migration management. Areas of common interest such as maritime security, the resilience of our critical infrastructure and foreign interference are among the actions identified to strengthen regional cooperation on peace and security.
Three pillars
- People as drivers of change, connections and innovation – This includes actions related to the promotion of higher education, vocational training, skills and employment, the empowerment of young people and civil society, mobility, culture, tourism and sport, with a strong focus on youth. A Mediterranean university will be a flagship project under this pillar, connecting students from all shores of the Mediterranean. Existing technical and vocational education and training ecosystems will also be strengthened, while, through a heritage mechanism, the EU will promote cultural heritage, support artists and revive tourism in a sustainable manner.
The pact is also open to engagement with partners beyond the southern Mediterranean, including the Gulf, sub-Saharan Africa, the Western Balkans and Turkey. Strengthening cooperation between the EU, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the Gulf region, is a key objective of the pact. - Stronger, more sustainable and integrated economies – This includes actions related to modernising trade and investment relations, boosting clean energy and technologies, water resilience, the blue economy and agriculture, digital connectivity and transport, and job creation. In this context, a trans-Mediterranean initiative on renewable energy and clean technologies (T-MED) and StartUp4Med will be among the flagship projects of this pillar. Partners will also work on supply chain integration, including in the health and agriculture sectors, as well as on critical raw materials. Effective, secure and reliable interconnection of digital infrastructure will bring economies and citizens closer together, while a more sustainable and regenerative blue economy in the Mediterranean basin will be promoted.
- Security, preparedness and migration management – This includes actions to address common security challenges, improve regional preparedness and cooperate on a comprehensive approach to migration. Priority initiatives will include disaster preparedness and resilience in the Mediterranean. A comprehensive approach to migration management will be promoted, as well as a common approach to integrated border management and security, including operational partnerships to combat migrant smuggling. A regional forum on peace and security will be established for the EU and the southern Mediterranean countries.
Next steps:
The pact will be put forward for political approval by the EU and its southern Mediterranean partners in November 2025, on the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process.
The initiatives proposed under the pact will be translated into a specific action plan, which will specify the participating countries and stakeholders for each initiative. The initial action plan is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. The Action Plan will be a living document to which new initiatives can be added over time. Regional organisations, civil society and youth organisations will be invited to support its implementation, while EU institutions will be kept regularly informed of its deployment.
Background:
The pact is the result of an extensive and inclusive consultation process involving a wide range of stakeholders, including partners from the southern Mediterranean, Member States and EU institutions, neighbouring countries from the wider region, as well as representatives from civil society, the private sector, academia, think tanks, and cultural and economic organisations.
In 1995, the Barcelona Process was launched following the signing of the Barcelona Declaration on Multilateral Cooperation with the Mediterranean. In 2021, the Mediterranean Agenda deepened cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as human development, governance, resilience, climate action and inclusive economic growth. The corresponding economic and investment plan served as a starting point for how the EU can propose concrete initiatives and follow them up. Today's pact aims to continue the work done in a more coordinated and systematic way, linking it to the overall policy framework through strengthened governance, concrete actions and co-ownership.
