The third Economic and Social Forum for the Mediterranean served as the stage for the defense of the Mediterranean Pact by the European Commissioner, Dubravka Šuica. The official stressed that the agreement, sealed last October in Barcelona, is not just a document but a real commitment to cooperation between the peoples of the north and south of the basin.
Šuica highlighted that the Pact aims to involve all shores, including North Africa, the Middle East, and some Gulf countries. One of the fundamental challenges is to achieve a Mediterranean basin powered by green energy. The Commissioner confirmed that her main mission is to advance this pact, moving now from agreement to execution through an action plan with 21 major initiatives and over 100 smaller actions.
The main pillars of the commitment are "investing in people and capacities", "investing in economy and energy", and "investing in resilience, preparedness, and migration". In this regard, the future University of the Mediterranean is being promoted, conceived as an alliance and network of centers to strengthen the vocational training and capacities of the inhabitants of the involved countries, adapting to the transformation of the labor market.
The second major pillar is green energy, through the T-MED initiative, a model to ensure investment in clean energy. The European Commission believes that producing renewable energy on the southern shore of the Mediterranean can be significantly cheaper than in Northern Europe, making the region a "strategic piece" for European competitiveness and security. "Energy is one of the most important issues because it is linked to competitiveness, but also to security and defense," Šuica stated.
The Commissioner insisted that a stable Mediterranean region contributes to the prosperity of all of Europe. The Mediterranean energy transition has a climatic, economic, and geopolitical dimension, with the ambition of achieving a "decarbonized Mediterranean basin". Investment in the southern continent will facilitate job creation, including in neighboring non-European countries, thereby strengthening security and reducing emissions.
The "social dimension" is central, offering job opportunities to young people so they can find work in their home countries or come to Europe. To achieve these goals, it is crucial to mobilize the private sector and civil society, as public funds "will not be enough". Barcelona, home to the Union for the Mediterranean, is considered a "gateway for innovation, research, and regional cooperation".
