The European Union–Mediterranean Charter was officially launched on Friday, coinciding with the opening of the 10th Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Forum in Barcelona, with the participation of Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi.
The Charter was launched by Kadri Simson—the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission—alongside Dubravka Šuica, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, and José Manuel Albares, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Charter reinforces the EU’s political and financial commitments with Southern Mediterranean partners, with the aim of advancing shared priorities including the green transition, digital transformation, human capital development, and regional stability.
Its launch coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration, which laid the foundations of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
The Charter underscores the strategic importance of the Mediterranean region for the EU and aims to deepen cooperation with Southern partners by fostering a shared Mediterranean space and strengthening integration.
The European Council emphasized the need to build bridges between peoples and states to enhance mutual understanding and generate opportunities for sustainable growth. It highlighted the region’s significant potential for deeper economic integration, stronger trade and investment flows, diversified economies and value chains, development of the blue economy and energy cooperation, and improved connectivity between Europe and its southern partners—all to support job creation and economic resilience.
The Council also stressed that climate change, environmental degradation, and water scarcity remain pressing shared challenges, calling for intensified collaboration under the Barcelona Convention, along with greater focus on education, youth employment, cultural heritage preservation, and demographic trends.
The Charter includes strengthened cooperation on peace, security, and defense, including conflict prevention, mediation, combating organized crime, and ensuring maritime safety. It also promotes capacity-building for Mediterranean partners and enhanced interregional exchange.
On migration, the Council called for a comprehensive and rights-based approach that involves all levels of government and addresses the full migration pathway, aiming to reduce irregular migration, protect migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in vulnerable situations, and ensure effective return and readmission policies.
The Council concluded by highlighting the importance of strategic communication to raise public awareness and understanding of the political commitment embodied in the Mediterranean Charter.
