European Commission officials and Mediterranean civil society groups met in Brussels on 23 July to discuss how non-governmental organisations could help implement a planned “Pact for the Mediterranean” due to be launched in late 2025.
The consultations were organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA) together with the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), with additional support from Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality II, the Commission reported.
The Pact for the Mediterranean is described as being based on “co-ownership, co-creation and shared responsibility.”
Around 80 civil society organisations, social economy actors, youth- and women-led organisations, research institutions and regional networks from across the Mediterranean took part.
The meeting opened with remarks from Francisco Gaztelu Mezquiriz, Director for North Africa at DG MENA, and Senén Florensa, Executive President of IEMed.
Focus groups on disaster preparedness, security and jobs
Participants then split into three parallel focus groups to discuss how civil society expertise could feed into three initiatives under the pact’s Action Plan, the Commission said.
One group discussed “community preparedness and disaster-risk awareness” as part of an initiative referred to as Mediterranean Disaster Preparedness.
A second group covered “safe and effective community engagement” under an initiative called MED-SECURE.
A third group looked at “inclusive entrepreneurship, social economy and decent job creation” under StartUp4Med.
