UfM Regional Platform on Trade, Investment and Industry
Context and Objectives
The Euro-Mediterranean region remains economically fragmented, characterized by low levels of intraregional trade and investment flows. This fragmentation hampers meaningful economic integration, which is essential for driving growth and creating sustainable jobs.
According to a UfM regional integration progress report (OECD, 2021), trade in goods constituted 35% of the region’s GDP in 2018, with intra-regional trade among UfM countries representing over 20% of global trade in goods during the same year. Furthermore, EU countries serve as the primary senders and receivers of foreign direct investment (FDI) within the region.
To address these challenges, the UfM Regional Platform on Trade and Investment convenes twice a year, bringing together representatives from trade ministries and agencies of UfM Member States, as well as officials from European institutions and international organisations. This platform fosters dialogue and collaboration aimed at enhancing trade and investment in the region.
As of 1 January 2025, and following the adoption of the proposal of the merger by Member Countries, the UfM Trade and Investment Platform and the Industrial Cooperation Platform have been merged to form the UfM Regional Platform on Trade, Investment and Industry.
This initiative aims to enable the members of the platform to better address emerging challenges and opportunities in the region and worldwide and leverage the overlapping interests and expertise of the two previously existing platforms, ultimately leading to a more efficient and streamlined approach to trade and investment priorities and industry issues.
The Platform’s objective
The main objective of the UfM Regional Platform on Trade and Investment is to follow up on the implementation of the UfM Ministerial Declarations and Joint Statements on Trade.
Key priorities
- This Platform works around three intertwined priority areas: sustainable investment, sustainable trade and regional integration.
Policy framework
The UfM Regional Platform on Trade and Investment focuses its work on three key interrelated pillars, namely Sustainable Trade, Sustainable Investment, and Regional Integration. In addition to the regionwide work done by the Platform, there is an important emphasis on south-south trade and investment integration given its multiplier effect for the economy.
Documentation
Key dates
- Euromed Trade Senior Officials meeting, October 2006
- UfM Trade Senior Officials meeting, 2017
- UfM Regional Platform on Trade and Investment Meeting, July 2021
- UfM Regional Platform on Trade, Investment and Industry Meeting, Brussels, May 2025
Key partners
- Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE), European Commission
- Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, Jordan
Related content
The UfM Trade and Investment Forum which has become, since its inaugural edition in 2019, a well-established forum that addresses the most pressing issues and current dynamics in trade and investment within the Euro-Mediterranean region.
