Five projects funded by the Interreg NEXT MED Programme have been highlighted in the first Action Plan under the Pact for the Mediterranean, the EU strategic framework designed to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and Southern Mediterranean partner countries.
Unveiled by the Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf of the European Commission on 17 April 2026, the Action Plan serves as an operational roadmap for implementing the Pact for the Mediterranean.
The Pact – officially launched by southern Mediterranean partners and EU Member States on 28 November 2025 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration – is a strategic framework designed to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and Southern Mediterranean partner countries, focusing on shared priorities such as sustainable economic development, youth opportunities, energy transition, climate resilience, security, and regional stability. Notably, the Pact is built around three strategic pillars:
- First pillar: People. Driving Force for Change, Connections, and Innovations
- Second pillar: Stronger, More Sustainable, and Integrated Economies
- Third pillar: Security, Preparedness, and Migration Management
The Action Plan details concrete actions, deliverables, participating countries, stakeholders, and funding opportunities aimed at turning these priorities into practical initiatives across the region. Among the initiatives mentioned in the document are five Interreg NEXT MED projects that show alignment between cohesion policy investments and the Pact, highlighting the potential for synergies.
The projects featured in the Action Plan are:
- EUSEEDS – Enabling and fostering Mediterranean youth employability through dedicated university centres (€2.5 million)
- YOUTHMED – Empowering youth for an Inclusive Mediterranean (€1 million)
- MedYCI – Mediterranean Youth for Creative Impact (€1 million)
- MedFireWise – Fostering cross-border wildfire resilience (€2 million)
- SIMMER – Strategic Integration of Operational and Legal Frameworks for resilience and management of Mediterranean Wildfires (€2.4 million)
The selected initiatives address key challenges facing the Mediterranean region, including youth employment and inclusion, creative innovation, and preparedness against increasingly severe wildfires linked to climate change. The inclusion of these projects in the Pact’s Action Plan reflects the growing recognition of Interreg NEXT MED as a relevant instrument for fostering cooperation and delivering tangible results across the Mediterranean basin. It also demonstrates the Programme’s alignment with the key EU strategic framework for the Mediterranean.
Press release: EU presents first Action Plan under the Pact for the Mediterranean (17 April 2026)
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