• Economy & Finance

MED Confederation, An Alliance to Boost the Economy of the Mediterranean Countries

Nine entities from Spain, France, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia and Belgium (foundations, banks, savings banks and think-tanks) constitute the MED Confederation, which wants to promote socio-economic cooperation in the Mediterranean to locate this region of 450 million inhabitants in a better economic, commercial and social position in a globalized world.

The new institution and its projects for 2014 are presented to more than 200 representatives from Spain, France, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia and Belgium this afternoon at CaixaForum Barcelona.

The event is attended by various representatives of government and private institutions, as well as other actors from think tanks and civil society.

The MED Confederation is launching the following Mediterranean projects:

• Encourage the mobility of young professionals in international companies through a Mediterranean exchange program. (IPEMED, France)
• Promote employment and social entrepreneurship through the creation of a meeting platform between companies and civil society organizations to encourage incorporation into the labor market. (“La Caixa” Foundation)
• Foster corporate social responsibility in the economic and business world given the growing demand for services by civil society. (Banque Populaire Group and Caisse d’Epargne, France)
• Create a network of business incubation centers that allow start-ups to access funding, markets and talent in Mediterranean countries. (TEPAV, Turkey)
• Establish a Mediterranean network of economic cooperation with the main multilateral institutions (among others, the European Investment Bank, the OECD, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Arab League, the African Development Bank, the Union for the Mediterranean) to promote economic reform and good governance (IEMed).

Why Med Confederation?

Med Confederation is an alliance that works so that the Mediterranean countries can play an active role at the international level in the socio-economic field, enhance their competitive advantages and promote common interests.
In this sense, the initial group of foundations, financial institutions and research centers that make up MED Confederation pursue two goals: to grow together and grow better.

The founding members of MED Confederation are:

• Fundació “la Caixa”
• IEMed (European Institute of the Mediterranean)
• WSBI (World Savings and Retail Banking Institute, Brussels)
• IPEMED (Institut de Prospective Economique du Monde Méditerranéen, France)
• Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (Tunisia)
• Caisse de Dépôts et de Gestion (Morocco)
• TEPAV (Economic Policy Research Foundation, Turkey)
• Al Barid Bank (Morocco)
• CEEBA (Chamber of the Euro Chambers, Egypt)

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