Commissioner Dubravka Šuica delivered a speech on June 10, 2025, at the United Nations Ocean Conference's Mediterranean Day in Nice, focusing on the Mediterranean Sea's strategic importance and the pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges it faces. Šuica outlined her commitment as the European Commission's first commissioner with a dedicated portfolio for the Mediterranean to foster enhanced cooperation across the region.
Concrete Proposal: New Pact for the Mediterranean
Šuica introduced the upcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean, planned for presentation in autumn 2025. This pact aims to act as a comprehensive umbrella for bilateral and regional cooperation between the EU and Mediterranean partner countries, covering people, economies, and peace, resilience, and security. The Pact's priorities include investment in higher education, job creation, culture, tourism, renewable energy cooperation, climate change mitigation, digital and transport connectivity, migration management, and security initiatives.
Policy Orientations and Sectoral Cleavages
The proposal indicates a shift towards deeper EU-led regional integration by strengthening transboundary cooperation and economic ties, especially in renewable energy and clean technology sectors. The Pact also emphasizes increasing EU engagement in security cooperation and migration management, suggesting enhanced coordination with partner countries. This initiative implies increasing EU influence in Mediterranean affairs, potentially balancing national sovereignties with regional governance aims.
Stakeholder Impact
- Mediterranean coastal nations could benefit from sustainable development and improved environmental protections but may face increased regulatory coordination demands.
- The renewable energy sector stands to gain from expanded cooperation and job creation opportunities.
- Higher education institutions in the region may experience new collaboration prospects through the proposed Med Universities Network.
- Security agencies might expect enhanced partnership roles, especially in combating organized crime and migration control efforts.
Šuica's speech combines concrete policy propositions, such as institutional structures like the Mediterranean University and the T-MED initiative, with calls for joint action on peace and resilience. While the pact reflects ambitious integration and cooperation goals, its detailed implementation and funding mechanisms remain to be seen.