Cities and regions back EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean

Local and regional authorities from the three shores of the Mediterranean have welcomed the European Union's recently published Pact for the Mediterranean, while emphasising that cities and regions must be seen as strategic partners in implementing the Pact.

Members of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) on 7 November endorsed the proposal at a meeting in Palermo, Sicily addressed by the principal architect of the Pact: Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean.

Commissioner Šuica will on 28 November seek present the new strategy to national governments of the countries from the EU’s southern neighbourhood countries, at a meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) – which brings together members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), association representatives and local and regional politicians drawn from the other 16 partner countries in the Union of the Mediterranean – highlighted sustainable economic development and inclusive socio-economic development as priority topics for local and regional authorities.

The centrality of sustainable and inclusive development, together with the involvement of regional and local authorities in implementation of the Pact, was identified in an opinion on the Euro-Mediterranean strategic agenda drafted for ARLEM by Arianna Censi (IT/PES), Minister for Mobility of Milan, and by Rama Mohammed El Ezzi from Amman, Jordan. Their report, which was adopted on 7 November, is reflected in a five-year Action Plan for ARLEM also adopted on 7 November, with cooperation expected on issues ranging from civil protection and the development of a 'blue' (maritime) economy to youth entrepreneurship and cultural exchanges.

ARLEM's support for entrepreneurship was demonstrated by the presentation of the ARLEM Award 2025: Young local entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean to Mokhtar Bouazza, founder of Gardens of Babylon, a vertical-farming business in Algeria. The award recognises collaboration between local authorities and young entrepreneurs.

The ARLEM meeting was hosted by Gaetano Galvagno (IT/ECR), President of the Regional Assembly of Sicily. The meeting was co-chaired by Joško Klisović (HR/PES), member of the Assembly of the City of Zagreb in Croatia, and Samir Chibani, Wali of the wilaya of Guelma in Algeria. The European Commission was represented by Commissioner Šuica and the Union for the Mediterranean by Deputy Secretary-General Joan Borrell.

Quotes:

• Joško Klisović (HR/PES), member of the Assembly of the City of Zagreb and co-chair of the ARLEM meeting: "For too long, the Mediterranean was discussed in Brussels without the voices of its cities and regions. With the New Pact, that era is changing. Through our work in ARLEM, we have ensured that local and regional authorities now stand at the heart of this new political framework – as true partners, not implementers. This is a victory for democracy, solidarity, and the conviction that real change starts from the ground up. Now it is time to turn that recognition into real power and concrete results on the ground."

• Samir Chibani, Wali of the wilaya of Guelma in Algeria: "We must redouble our efforts to build bridges in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Through dialogue, cooperation, and joint initiatives, we can continue to explore concrete solutions and develop collaborative strategies that can bring about positive change, despite the challenges we face. That is the purpose of our meeting. The Pact for the Mediterranean represents an important milestone for all of us – from all shores of the Mediterranean – in this shared cooperation."

• Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean: "I am grateful to address ARLEM today – an important forum for promoting interregional cooperation. Local and regional authorities are at the heart of the Pact for the Mediterranean. As a former mayor, I know how deeply they understand the needs and challenges of their citizens and territories – and how crucial they are in delivering real solutions on the ground. Together, we are shaping our region’s future – building a Common Mediterranean Space of opportunities, sustainable growth, and equal partnership."

• Gaetano Galvagno (IT/ECR), President of the Regional Assembly of Sicily: "The work of ARLEM confirms the importance of involving regional representatives in consolidating the Pact for the Mediterranean, so that it can be based on development, cohesion, and dialogue between cities and regions, grounded in equal and virtuous cooperation aimed at fostering self-centred and self-sustainable development systems. There are several challenges that the communities of the area must face – from the water crisis to economic development, environmental sustainability, and cooperation in the field of energy and resources – while keeping an eye on global challenges: dialogue and subnational diplomacy are essential to adopting concrete solutions."

More information:

• Meeting details: Agenda, photos, ARLEM Action Plan 2025-29, report on 'Territorial perspectives for the new Euro-Mediterranean strategic agenda'.

• ARLEM: Background information on the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) is available on the website of the European Committee of the Regions.

• ARLEM and the Mediterranean process: The Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) was created in 2010 by the European Committee of the Regions, as a means of providing a regional and local voice within the broader framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). The UfM was established in 2008, a result of an initiative in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation launched in 1995 in Barcelona to bring together countries from the European Union and the southern and eastern Mediterranean, to promote dialogue and cooperation to address cultural, economic, political, and environmental challenges. ARLEM has observer status within the UfM. The anniversary of the first Euro-Mediterranean Conference is marked each year on 28 November, which is now designated the official Day of the Mediterranean; this year is the 30th anniversary of regional-wide cooperation.

• Pact for the Mediterranean: The Pact, which was presented on 16 October, builds on the strategy laid out in 2021 in the EU's New Agenda for the Mediterranean. It was developed on the basis of extensive consultation, including at the ARLEM commission meeting on sustainable development, held in Brussels in June 2025. The Pact represents a shared ambition for all countries in the EU and the Mediterranean region, and will serve as a framework for cooperation focused on people, on boosting prosperity, and on strengthening security and resilience. It will complement existing comprehensive bilateral partnerships between the EU and Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan.

• ARLEM Award: For more details, visit the webpage for the ARLEM Award: Young local entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean.