On Friday 17 April, the European Commission presented its first action plan under the ‘Pact for the Mediterranean’ (see EUROPE 13732/2). The plan comprises 21 concrete actions, which are expected to be implemented this year.
“This action plan puts the Pact in motion. (...) We share the ambition of a common Mediterranean area of peace, stability and prosperity. To achieve this, we are mobilising all the policies and tools at our disposal. At the moment, people on all sides of the Mediterranean are under pressure, they are worried about their future, they need answers and we are responding”, Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, explained to the media.
The initiatives are built around three pillars. Eight of these focus on citizens as the ‘Engine of change, connection and innovation’, including the establishment of a Mediterranean University - an alliance of universities across the region, said Ms Suica - and a Parliamentary Assembly of young elected representatives, the first plenary session of which will take place at the end of the year.
One initiative focuses on the creation and development of innovation and research centres throughout the Mediterranean region “in order to strengthen knowledge and technology transfer, stimulate the work of innovators and start-ups and attract more investors to the region”, said a senior European official.
Similarly, the EU, together with its partner countries, has drawn up national action plans for the ‘Youth Guarantee’, while 30% of young people in the MENA region are not in employment, education or training.
Four initiatives will aim to contribute to “stronger, more sustainable and integrated” economies. These include the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean-Tech Cooperation Initiative (T-MED) and its investment platform. The STARTUP4MED initiative aims to promote inclusive growth and the creation of decent jobs, in particular by supporting young businesses.
Lastly, nine actions focus on “the security, preparation and management of migration”. One of the initiatives, the European Fire Centre, a regional centre based in Cyprus aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness and response, is due to be inaugurated in the coming weeks.
A regional forum on peace and security for the EU and southern Mediterranean countries will also be set up, with the aim of fostering a better understanding of the regional situation, sharing views and coordinating approaches on issues of common interest. Ms Šuica told Agence Europe that the first meeting of this forum is due to take place in November in Brussels.
An ‘EU-Mediterranean Security Facility’, aimed at contributing to the reform of the governance and performance of the security sector in the southern Mediterranean and the Gulf, is due to be launched in the last quarter of 2026.
A regional dialogue on internal security will also be set up, and cooperation on preventing illegal immigration and combating the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings will be stepped up.
The initiatives are financed by existing EU funds or programmes, funds from the Member States and partner countries. The Commissioner also invited private companies and banks to participate.
The action plan will be updated twice a year. A second version is therefore expected in autumn 2026.
The Mediterranean will be the focus of the extraordinary European summit to be held on 23 and 24 April in Cyprus. The leaders of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, as well as the Secretary General of the Gulf States Council, were invited to a discussion session.
See the action plan: https://aeur.eu/f/llh (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)