The partnership between the European Union and the UNEP/MAP–Barcelona Convention system is being further strengthened to address the major environmental challenges facing the Mediterranean region. Within the framework of the Egyptian Presidency of the Barcelona Convention, Eng. Sherif Eid Rahim, President of the Bureau of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and Chief Executive Officer of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, met with senior representatives of the European Commission in Brussels on 9 and 10 June.
Discussions focused on the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, the circular economy, the sustainable blue economy, marine pollution, and climate resilience.
The meetings were attended by European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica; Ms. Paulina Dejmek-Hack, Head of Cabinet to European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall; and Ms. Veronica Manfredi, Director of Directorate C of DG Environment, responsible for Zero Pollution, Water Resilience and Green Urban Transition.
At the heart of the dialogue was the shared commitment to further strengthen cooperation between the European Union and the UNEP/MAP–Barcelona Convention system. The discussions provided an opportunity to review the achievements of this longstanding partnership and to identify strategic priorities for the future.
Particular attention was devoted to priority areas of cooperation in view of the European Union’s next programming and budgetary framework for the period 2028–2034. The guiding principles of this cooperation are based on the outcomes of COP24 of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, the Cairo Ministerial Declaration, and the new Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) 2026–2035, which serves as a key reference framework for sustainability policies across the region.
Among the main topics discussed were the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, the promotion of the circular economy, the development of a sustainable blue economy, efforts to combat marine pollution, and the strengthening of climate resilience. Participants also discussed the implementation of the ecosystem approach under UNEP/MAP and its synergies with the European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
Another important aspect of the discussions concerned future projects to be developed within the framework of the partnership between the European Union and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of joint actions in support of environmental sustainability throughout the Mediterranean region.
The meetings also highlighted the importance of cooperation with the Union for the Mediterranean, recognized as a key platform for fostering synergies among environmental, climate, and sustainable development policies across the countries of the region.