Dear Director of Plan Bleu, Mr. Degron,
Dear Ambassador Fieschi,
Dear Mayor of Dubrovnik, dear Mato,
Dear participants,
Thank you very much for the invitation and the opportunity to speak to you today.
It is a great honor and pleasure to be here in my wonderful hometown and UNESCO World Heritage site.
The sustainable development of the Mediterranean is very close to our hearts.
This event, MED2050 transition pathways, comes at the right moment. The Mediterranean, with its unique natural and cultural heritage, is facing severe challenges.
To help build a resilient future for this iconic region, the MED2050 foresight report, drafted by Plan Bleu, is very helpful.
The report provides an invaluable tool for a sustainable transition, with realistic scenarios for the regions future.
Presentation and discussion events, like this one here in Croatia, provide opportunities for Mediterranean stakeholders to engage and shape the future of the region together.
This is exactly the approach that we as the European Union are following.
As the first European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, I am entrusted with strengthening the partnership with the countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf.
We want to build on shared aspirations and explore opportunities for mutual gains in a process of consultation.
Our priority is the New Pact for the Mediterranean, aimed at boosting cooperation between the European Union and our partner countries.
We see two components for the New Pact: comprehensive partnerships in key areas of mutual interest, such as trade, renewable energy, clean tech, and digital and transport connectivity, and concrete regional investment initiatives to bring the partnerships to life across the Mediterranean.
We aim to boost renewable energy trading and clean tech manufacturing in the region.
This cooperation is set to deliver multiple benefits: faster economic development, more quality jobs, greater competitiveness, faster decarbonization, and more security in energy supply for both sides.
We are also looking at the cultural-educational dimension, from cooperation among foundations to university exchanges and a Mediterranean University Network.
I believe that people-to-people contacts are essential in all areas.
I am traveling to the region to hear from all stakeholders - governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society.
We want to know what the priorities and expectations are for mutually beneficial areas of cooperation.
It is good to remember that in the Southern Mediterranean region, over half of the population is under 24 years old and 63% are under the age of 35. At the same time, the region has the highest youth unemployment rates worldwide.
Trade, investment in clean tech, and enhanced cooperation on energy are therefore crucial for growth and employment.
Our aim is a strongly positive effect on the economy, sustainability, and stability in the region.
What I hear in talks with partner countries and European stakeholders is that everyone is interested in connectivity, including maritime transport. It will be one of the priorities for the investment partnerships.
We see great potential to work on the green and digital transition of maritime ports in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf countries, and in the European Union.
At the beginning of the month, I was invited to a maritime security conference in Rijeka, the largest seaport in Croatia and a major hub in the Adriatic.
We were also discussing decarbonization in the maritime sector, given the volume of world trade and that 80 percent of it moves across our oceans.
Maritime trade is a truly global business. We want to preserve the environment while maintaining competitiveness and avoiding distortions of competition.
Therefore, maritime infrastructures worldwide, not only in the European Union, need to scale up their investments in renewable or low-carbon fuels.
Some countries, especially Egypt, Morocco, and Turkey, have already started developing the production and availability of renewable and low-carbon fuels in their ports. This is a very positive development.
The European Union is interested in supporting these investments. At the same time, we need to make sure there is no negative impact on EU ports, such as shifting bunkering or logistic activities.
Overall, I believe decarbonization and the promotion of renewable energies and fuels have a lot of potential in the Mediterranean. And they can be one useful tool of many for sustainable development and the preservation of our marine environment.
Occasions like today are very precious for me.
The MED2050 foresight exercise will serve as food for thought for our work on the New Pact for the Mediterranean.
I wish you a fruitful workshop and look forward to receiving your input and your conclusions and recommendations.
Thank you.