The European Commission and the European External Action Service have added nine new initiatives to the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean, and aim to mobilise €25 billion of investment.
The new initiatives bringthe total number of actions under its updated plan to 30 one year after the pact was launched.
The updated Action Plan was presented to representatives of EU member states and southern Mediterranean partner countries, the Commission informed on Tuesday.
It added the updates reflect progress on earlier measures as well as new projects.
Among the initiatives already under way is work towards establishing a “Mediterranean University”, intended to expand cross-border co-operation in higher education and research, the Commission said.
It also cited progress on innovation and research centres, and the development of a “MED Skills Tracker” designed to help young people build skills and access employment opportunities.
Two new actions were also announced under the plan’s “People” pillar: a Mediterranean Science Diplomacy Centre, described as a regional hub for co-ordination, capacity-building and knowledge exchange, and an initiative to raise awareness of the benefits of sport for physical and mental health across the region.
Energy, jobs and security measures
On the economy, the Commission said it launched the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean Tech Co-operation Initiative — known as T-MED — on 9 June, alongside an investment platform intended to build a pipeline of renewable energy, electricity grid and clean-tech projects.
It said €25 billion of investment is expected to be mobilised through the platform.
The Commission also pointed to StartUp4Med, which it described as promoting inclusive growth and job creation, and the Surging Women’s Employment Initiative, launched on 23 September 2026 with UN Women.
The programme aims to create 500,000 jobs for women in high-growth sectors, and around 900 companies across the Middle East and North Africa region and the Gulf have committed to implementing the Women’s Empowerment Principles underpinning it.
On security and preparedness, the Commission said a European Firefighting Hub based in Cyprus has extended disaster preparedness and response support to southern Mediterranean countries for the first time.
Six aircraft were pre-positioned at Paphos airbase to prepare for the 2026 fire season, and partners took part in a regional wildfire workshop in May 2026.
Two further security-related actions — MED-OP, focused on co-operation to combat serious and organised crime, and Secure Borders, aimed at strengthening border management capacities and security sector governance — are due to be launched on 11 November at the first regional dialogue on internal security between the EU and partner countries.
The Commission added that the first EU-MED Peace and Security Forum will take place in Brussels on 18 November.
The updated plan also adds a new action to strengthen protection for vulnerable migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the southern Mediterranean through a “whole-of-route” approach.
Another update to the Action Plan is expected in spring 2027.
