One year after its launch, the Pact for the Mediterranean is delivering concrete benefits and new opportunities for citizens, businesses and communities on all shores of our shared sea.
Today, the European Commission and the European External Action Service presented to representatives of EU Member States and Southern Mediterranean partners the updated Action Plan, which highlights the progress made under the Pact’s first set of actions under the Action Plan, alongside nine new key initiatives.
These bring the total to 30 initiatives under the Pact, advancing the EU and its partners’ shared ambition to build a connected, prosperous, resilient and secure Common Mediterranean Space.
Key achievements and new actions
First pillar – People. Driving Force for Change, Connections, and Innovation
Progress has been made across the eight actions under the first pillar, including important steps towards establishing the Mediterranean University, which will strengthen transnational education and research through closer cooperation between universities and academics. Work has also advanced on innovation and research centres to support scientific collaboration, skills development and competitiveness across the region. Other actions, including the MED Skills Tracker, are advancing to help young people develop skills and access employment opportunities. These efforts pave the way for the new Mediterranean Youth Skills and Jobs Initiative, announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address this year.
The updated Action Plan introduces two new actions. The first is the establishment of a Mediterranean Science Diplomacy Centre to serve as a regional hub for coordination, capacity-building and knowledge exchange. The second is an initiative raising awareness about the benefits of sport for physical and mental health across the region.[…]