UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity and its Thematic Working Groups

27-28 November 2024, Barcelona, Spain – Following the adoption of the new Region Transport Action Plan (RTAP) for the Mediterranean region, on the occasion of the Second UfM Ministerial Conference on Transport (online, 9 February 2023), and building on previous meetings, the UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity and its thematic Working Groups on Land Transport, Air Transport, Maritime Transport and on Logistics & Intermodal Transport will convene in Barcelona, Spain on 27-28 November 2024, to look ahead towards the next steps and to discuss, in particular, the draft progress report on key aspects of the implementation of the RTAP 2021-2027. UfM Member States will provide updates on the progress at national level regarding the implementation of the actions presented under each component of the plan, encompassing both horizontal and thematic subsectors.

The meetings will also discuss ongoing and future regional projects and initiatives, along with activities organized by the UfM Secretariat aimed at supporting UfM Member States with the implementation of the RTAP.

Policy Background

The aim of the UfM in the field of transport in general and of the UfM Regional Platform on Transport Connectivity and its thematic Working Groups in particular, is gradual but solid progress towards developing an integrated, multimodal, efficient, interoperable, sustainable and resilient – as well as a cleaner and more inclusive – transport infrastructure network in the Euro-Mediterranean region, with the ultimate goal of achieving deeper regional integration, socio-economic development and contributing to achieving the SDGs.

On the occasion of the Second UfM Ministerial Conference on Transport held online in February 2023, Ministers reaffirmed their continued collective political support to developing a safe, secure, sustainable, efficient and connected transport system based on harmonized transport rules and standards, as well as an integrated multimodal trans-Mediterranean transport network. Ministers also reaffirmed the importance of the connectivity among the Southern Mediterranean countries, between these countries and the EU and towards inner Africa and Asia.

The Ministerial Declaration on Transport, the Evaluation Report of Regional Transport Action Plan 2014-2020 and the new RTAP 2021-2027 adopted at the Ministerial Conference, provides collective political momentum to these key goals. The new RTAP provides a comprehensive guidance and comprises a set of actions targeting regulatory reform and infrastructure network planning.