A prosperous and stable southern Mediterranean is at the heart of EU action, as underlined in the Political Guidelines of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This new focus is a testament to the importance of our relationship. I am honoured to be the first-ever European Commissioner for the Mediterranean. This is a crucial year: 30 years on from the launch of the Barcelona Process, we are reinvigorating our partnerships to build a genuine Common Mediterranean Space through the New Pact for the Mediterranean.
It is the right way forward in a period of profound geostrategic and economic uncertainties. Challenging times are also a moment to grasp opportunities: to boost our resilience and geopolitical role by strengthening relations with our closest partners. This is the strategic approach of the European Union.
In this European Commission, we see our work through the lens of strengthened cooperation with our partners, competitiveness and security for all. To the benefit of our citizens and our economies. In our global relations, we want to be players, not only payers. The EU represents around 16 percent of global GDP. At the same time, we are contributing more than 42 percent of the global aid budget.
We are deepening and reinforcing our engagement with the countries around the Mediterranean like never before. Together, we are about to open a new chapter – the New Pact for the Mediterranean. It is a new political framework for wider and stronger cooperation. It is an enhanced bridge between the shores of the Mare Nostrum. And it builds on our historical and cultural ties.
A Fresh Start for the Mediterranean
Our new emphasis on the southern Mediterranean comes for a very good reason: there is a lot of win-win from strengthened cooperation between the EU and North Africa, the Middle East and also the triangular cooperation with the Gulf countries. The Mediterranean has the potential to become a powerful hub of innovation, trade, and inclusive and sustainable growth. There is a real window of opportunity. And we will seize it.
I have worked intensely on the preparation of the New Pact in a broad and inclusive consultation process with all stakeholders – both from the EU and the Southern Neighbourhood. We received many excellent ideas to design a New Pact tailor-made to the needs and interests of all partners. We have covered some good ground, including at the regional and local level, which is crucial for the New Pact’s implementation. A key feature is joint ownership reflecting the spirit of these consultations. I look forward to the adoption by the European Commission and the endorsement of the New Pact by the EU and southern Mediterranean partners at the Ministerial Conference in Barcelona in November, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process.
People, Prosperity, Security
Our approach is pragmatic and practical. It is bottom-up with visible initiatives and tangible results in key areas. The New Pact for the Mediterranean is an open-ended process structured around three pillars.
Firstly, we are putting people at the centre. People are drivers of change, exchange and innovation. We want to empower the Mediterranean youth by investing in higher education, vocational training and jobs. And we seek to promote a common space for cultural exchange and sports.
Secondly, we want to unlock the full potential of our economies. Changing global trade patterns bring new opportunities for the diversification of supply and production chains. This could also boost intra-regional economic integration in the southern Mediterranean. Our aim is to ensure that investment opportunities are matched with appropriate financing, also from the private sector. We want to break the regulatory, financial and infrastructural barriers.
Through clean-tech projects such as the Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative (T-MED), we can create the investments and quality jobs needed for sustainable prosperity. The renewable energy potential in North Africa is enormous. We can achieve faster decarbonization and increase our energy security, our autonomy and ultimately the competitiveness of the EU and our partner countries.
Apart from strengthening the Blue Economy, we want to improve digital connectivity and decarbonized transport throughout the region. This includes our steadfast practical support for the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) with the participation of Mediterranean and Gulf countries.
The third dimension of the New Pact is strengthening our cooperation on security, resilience and migration management. Reinforcing our joint capacity to react to natural and human disasters increases our resilience. And the effective management of migration in a safe and orderly manner is of utmost importance. This requires a whole-of-route approach, including the prevention of illegal departures, the fight against migrants’ smuggling and the trafficking in human beings, and close collaboration on integrated border management.
At the same time, we will work towards legal pathways for labour migration and talent partnerships with our southern neighbours – without causing brain drain for our partners. Labour shortage is indeed a severe challenge for the EU’s competitiveness. We must not forget, however, that the shores of the Mediterranean are experiencing opposite demographic trends.
A Joint Undertaking of All Players
In our joint effort to strengthen cooperation and exchange around the Mare Nostrum, we count on established actors in the region. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), with its unique convening power, is a privileged forum for dialogue: it is the only international organization where all EU and southern Mediterranean partners are members. I am committed to support strengthening the UfM’s impact for the benefit of all. Similarly, the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) is playing an indispensable role, especially through the Euro-Med Youth Dialogue.
Within the EU, Med9 is the strong Mediterranean voice all across the western Mediterranean, the Adriatic, the Ionian and the eastern Mediterranean. Med9’s expertise and the strategic priorities for the region are indispensable for the European Commission.
And let us not forget the Three Seas Initiative – linking the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Sea regions. This initiative has become a key driver of regional cohesion and connectivity, helping strengthen resilience across its members. It is another bridge for the north of Europe to the Mediterranean through the Adriatic.
Closer cooperation with the neighbours of our neighbours is also important. In this regard, the Gulf countries play an essential role in shaping the future of the wider Mediterranean region. They not only bring in considerable political and financial clout, but also a strong interest in regional stability, investment and connectivity. Their engagement addresses shared challenges: from energy transition and climate resilience to economic diversification and youth employment. Including the Gulf in our Mediterranean vision opens broader opportunities for cooperation beyond the immediate neighbourhood, and it reinforces our collective resilience.
Back in the people’s domain, we want to establish a Euro-Mediterranean Youth Assembly to gather the youth’s voice. We must have the youth on board, and this is very dear to me personally.
I am very grateful to the IEMed for their long-standing engagement and expertise as a think-and-do-tank. You have successfully stimulated reflection and action that contribute to mutual understanding, exchange and cooperation between the different Mediterranean partners, societies, and cultures. Without the IEMed, we would not have come to where we are today in the shaping of our Common Mediterranean Space. And I very much look forward to continuing our mutually inspiring cooperation.
Taking a New Step forward Together
A stronger Mediterranean partnership is a strategic imperative. The challenges we continue to face and the opportunities we can grasp together require a joint response. The New Pact for the Mediterranean seeks to empower and equip us all for that rewarding journey.
Photo: Dubravka Suica gives a speech at the Dubrovnik Forum “Connecting Economies, Empowering People: The New Pact for the Mediterranean”. 11 July 2025. © European Union, 2025, CC BY 4.0