The European Commission on Thursday unveiled a pact to boost relations with other Mediterranean countries, signalling that the bloc is not neglecting its southern neighbours, despite the focus on the Ukraine war.
“Trade between the European Union and the rest of the Mediterranean has increased by over 60 per cent in the last five years, our value chains are more and more interconnected, so we should work on a deeper integration,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The pact was among political deliverables laid out by Ms von der Leyen in July 2024. It aims to develop partnerships in education and the economy, with 17 main initiatives.
The creation of an alliance of Mediterranean universities is among the highlights. Others include building AI factories across the Mediterranean and a new European firefighting hub in Cyprus, Ms von der Leyen said. “The focus is very much on getting things done,” she added.
EU commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica led consultations with partners that started in early 2025. The 10 countries in the pact are Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia.
In a press conference, she highlighted that unlike during previous partnerships with the Mediterranean, it was not elaborated in the Brussels "bubble" but was a "bottom-up" approach.
A 'partnership of equals'
"It was not created within only DGs (directorate generals) and the so called bubble, but it reflects the situation on the ground. We are creating a partnership of equals, and the difference is that this time, we are going much more granular," Ms Suica said.
"We consulted everyone on the ground, not only governments, but also civil society, think tanks, academia, student organisations, youth organisations. So this was different approach this time," she said. "We wanted to have a partnership of equals."
Preventing illegal migration, although not the main aim of the pact, is one of its focal points. "The pact will support efforts to prevent illegal departures and fight smugglers, while creating legal pathways to address Europe’s labour needs. We will scale up talent partnerships with Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, and facilitate issuance of visas, in particular for students," Ms Suica said.
Speaking alongside Ms Suica at a joint press conference, the EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, drew comparisons with co-operations between the EU and Baltic states on security matters.
"We see similar challenges in the Mediterranean Sea as we see in the Baltic Nordic sea and Black Sea. Shadow fleet ships pose major security risks to both of our regions," she said.
In an interview with The National in July, Ms Suica said Gulf nations were not part of the pact but would be integrated as privileged partners.
“We badly need them to get with us, because their interest is to have peace, security and prosperity in the region,” Ms Suica said at the time. The first EU-GCC energy conference is scheduled in Brussels on December 15.
She also said the rationale behind the pact was the commission's desire to set aside the perception among some Mediterranean states that the bloc was solely focused on supporting Ukraine following Russia's invasion in 2022.
Anthony Dworkin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said the pact was presented as a partnership of equals, which indicates that the EU is making adherence to human rights a condition for engagement.
The bloc should target co-operation on projects that respond to issues of poor governance, a lack of opportunities and a broken social contract, which plague the region, he added.
“Europe can still help make a difference in boosting economic and social rights across the region – but it must look beyond short-term co-operation to act on a wider vision of social change,” said Mr Dworkin.
Ms Suica said that the EU was making a "positive offer." "We don't shy away from mentioning human rights," she said. "We will we always have a human rights clause in each and every agreement with them."
