EU representatives joined ministers from 43 countries in Rome on Monday for talks on water policy in the Mediterranean region.
The meeting was the second ministerial gathering on water held by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), a partnership linking EU and non-EU countries around the Mediterranean, the European Commission announced on Tuesday.
Ministers and senior officials responsible for water endorsed a second UfM Ministerial Declaration on Water, setting out priorities for work towards water-related UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2026 to 2030.
They also launched the Rome Initiative on Water as the Mediterranean region’s contribution to the UN Water Conference due to be held in Abu Dhabi in December.
Next steps at Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum
The Commission said the initiative would build on existing EU work, including its Water Resilience Strategy and the Pact for the Mediterranean.
Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica is due to continue the discussions on Friday at the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, where she will present the Pact for the Mediterranean’s initiative to strengthen water resilience across the region.
Jessika Roswall, the EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, said the meeting set out priorities for “national action and regional cooperation” on areas including sustainable water management, a “water-smart economy”, climate adaptation and mitigation, financing and infrastructure.
“The Mediterranean region is one of the regions in the world most vulnerable to water scarcity and the impacts of climate change,” Roswall stated.
