With the Joint Communication from the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 16 October 2025, “The Pact for the Mediterranean – One Sea, One Pact, One Future,” the European Commission set out to renew the Barcelona Process, launched in 1995 to deepen relations between Europe and the third countries of the Mediterranean within the framework of a strengthened Euro-Mediterranean partnership.

With the Pact for the Mediterranean, a common strategy has indeed been adopted to relaunch, with greater emphasis, cooperation between Europe, the Member States and the partners of the Southern Mediterranean, working together on shared priorities to build a common space that is connected, prosperous, resilient and secure, grounded in the historical and cultural ties that unite Europe and its southern neighbours.

The Pact is the outcome of a lengthy process of consultation with governments, civil society, young people, the private sector and researchers across the Mediterranean, designed to make it a genuine agreement among equals.

To ensure coordination of the initiative, the European Commission has established the Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA), which will be tasked with advancing the Pact’s priorities on the basis of the principles of co-creation, co-ownership and joint responsibility among the countries involved.

What are the cooperation priorities that have been identified?

For the mutual benefit of all parties, three pillars have been identified, each with its own objectives:

People as a driving force:

• Promote higher education and vocational training by establishing a Mediterranean university designed to foster collaboration among universities, research centres and institutions across the Mediterranean region, while strengthening existing technical and vocational programmes
• Develop skills and jobs, and launch initiatives in the fields of mobility, culture, tourism and sport, with particular attention to young people

A cross-cutting theme of this pillar is research and innovation, with the goal of creating, by the end of this year, a Mediterranean Innovation Centre conceived as a platform for growing new forms of collaboration.

Stronger, more sustainable and integrated economies:

• Promote clean energy and clean technologies
• Integrate additional supply chains, including in the health and agricultural sectors and in critical raw materials
• Improve digital infrastructure that brings economies and citizens closer together
• Help build a more sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean basin

Security, preparedness and migration management:

• Launch initiatives aimed at strengthening the Mediterranean region’s preparedness and resilience to disasters
• Promote a comprehensive approach to migration management
• Establish a regional forum on peace and security for the EU and the Southern Mediterranean countries

The 21 actions that will give concrete form to the Pact, and which will be subject to periodic monitoring, have been set out in an Action Plan approved last April, which will allow a degree of flexibility in implementation so that it can be adapted to different national contexts, ensuring its full effectiveness.

The Pact for the Mediterranean is not limited to the Southern partners alone: it is also open to engagement with other key players in the Gulf, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Western Balkans and Türkiye, reflecting a broader, interregional approach to cooperation.

Useful link:
https://north-africa-middle-east-gulf.ec.europa.eu/what-we-do/pact-mediterranean_en