The EU Commission presented the Pact for the Mediterranean, a new framework to deepen cooperation with countries in the Southern Neighbourhood and create a “Common Mediterranean Space”. The initiative brings together more than 100 actions grouped under three main pillars: People, Economy, and Security. It aims to strengthen regional partnerships through long-term investment, policy coordination and joint governance with Mediterranean partners.

The Pact’s economic pillar focuses on sustainable growth, energy transition and connectivity. A central element is the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean Tech (T-MED) programme, which will support investment in renewable energy generation, grids and clean technology manufacturing. The initiative includes cooperation on certification systems for cross-border renewable electricity and hydrogen, as well as industrial collaboration on energy value chains and related skills development.

Several measures are also foreseen to support a sustainable blue economy, including the creation of a Community of Practice for the EU Blue Economy and reinforced coordination through the Blue Mediterranean Partnership and BlueInvest. The Pact highlights the need for coherent maritime spatial planning to ensure sustainable and balanced use of marine areas across the region. It also commits to scaling up Technical and Vocational Education and Training by aligning programmes with labour-market needs in sectors of mutual interest, explicitly including innovative tourism; complementary measures include enhanced mobility under Erasmus+ and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and a MED Skill Tracker to document competences.

Digital and transport connectivity form another major component. The Pact proposes investments in subsea cables, trusted 5G and data infrastructure to improve secure digital links between the EU and Mediterranean partners. It also promotes low- and zero-emission fuels in maritime transport, better port and multimodal connections, and progress towards extending the TEN-T network to Southern partner countries.

The Pact will be implemented through joint EU–Euro-Mediterranean governance, supported by the Union for the Mediterranean. Political endorsement is expected in November 2025, followed by a detailed action plan in early 2026 setting out implementation and monitoring mechanisms.