The UfM brought together 50 experts and actors from both shores of the Euro-Mediterranean Region in Antalya to share best practices and ongoing efforts to promote digital skills, digital jobs, and e-governance solutions in the region. The Conference introduced the participants to the initiatives underway in Türkiye and gave the floor to participants to share best practices and success stories involving Governments, Private Sector, and Academia from Albania, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye, and other UfM countries. 20-21 May 2026, Antalya – This year’s edition of the UfM Digital Transformation Conference, co-organised with the Chambers of Commerce of Antalya… read more
A Conference held in Berlin today introduced business leaders and representatives of the Private Sector from Germany and the Region to the current realities of economic integration and the opportunities that deeper integration would offer in strategic economic sectors across the region. In the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the second UfM Progress Report on Regional Integration that took place in Barcelona on 12 September 2025, the German Development Cooperation expressed its interest in disseminating the findings and the recommendations of the Report to the German Private Sector as a first step to be followed by further activities to… read more
Valencia, 23-24 March 2026. The national focal points from 24 UfM Member States gathered over two successive days in Valencia, Spain, for the 20th UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour, co-chaired by the European Commission (Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion – DG EMPL) and the Jordanian Ministry of Labour on behalf of the UfM Co-Presidency, to advance the implementation of the UfM Action Plan on Employment and Labour 2025–2028. Discussions focused on operationalising regional priorities and strengthening coordination across stakeholders. Participants reviewed progress on the Work Programme implementing the 2025-2028 UfM Action Plan on Employment and Labour, including the… read more
The high-level dialogue that brought together the UfM, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and representatives from the European Union aimed at aligning development and investment agendas, identifying opportunities for partnership, and translating policy recommendations into action. The UfM region remains to be one of the most economically fragmented regions in the world with trade and investment flows profoundly skewed, interconnectivity potential yet to be unlocked, and mobility of people curtailed by several obstacles. Brussels, 11 February 2026 – Successive disruptions over the last few years have demonstrated the extent to which… read more
29 January 2026, Bratislava. The members of the UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour took part in a study visit to the European Labour Authority (ELA) in Bratislava, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), to strengthen cooperation on fair labour mobility and tackling undeclared work. The visit gathered representatives from 12 UfM Member States, social partners and ELA experts to exchange good practices and explore operational tools that support effective labour inspections and cross-border cooperation. Discussions recalled the mandate adopted by UfM Ministers of Employment and Labour at their 2022 Ministerial Meeting in… read more
Barcelona, 1–2 December 2025 – The UfM, with the support of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), organized a Regional Workshop on the revised Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean Rules of Origin (PEM Convention) in Barcelona, on 1–2 December 2025, in close cooperation with the European Commission (DG TRADE and DG TAXUD). The workshop built on a series of national training activities previously organized by the UfM, with the support of GIZ, over the past years. These activities have benefited several South Mediterranean Member Countries, in line with the Joint Statement adopted at the 11th UfM Trade Ministers’ Conference held on 10… read more
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process and the adoption of a new vision by the UfM Member States, the 2025 UfM Trade and Investment Forum is the Forum’s 7th edition in seven successive years, attesting to the emphasis the UfM places on facilitating trade and promoting investment to foster economic development and integration in the region. This year’s edition focused on three interrelated and elemental thematics, namely global trade disruption, trade integration in the UfM region, as well as cross-border investment and bankable projects, with a focus on green energy, digital services, and sustainable production. 10 December… read more
7 November 2025, Palermo. The ARLEM Award: Young Local Entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean has been conferred on Mokhtar Bouazza, 31, founder of the vertical farming enterprise Gardens of Babylon, together with Beanoumeur Bakhti representing the Mascara University business incubator (Algeria). The duo was recognised for an effective entrepreneur–public authority partnership that turns innovation into jobs and local impact. Created in 2019 by the Euro‑Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), in collaboration with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the award honours collaborations between entrepreneurs under 35 and their local or regional authorities across the Mediterranean. Gardens of Babylon deploys smart technology… read more
Barcelona, 22 October 2025 — The 10th Meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean’s (UfM) Regional Platform on Trade, Investment and Industry convened on 21 October 2025 at the UfM Secretariat in Barcelona, bringing together senior officials and experts from across the region. Discussions focused on regional integration, sustainable trade, investment and industrial cooperation, and were followed by a technical field visit to the Port of Barcelona. Co-chaired and inaugurated by Mercedes Bonet, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission Department of Trade and Economic Security (DG TRADE), and Rami Hammad, Director at Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply of… read more
Valletta, 14 October 2025. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) convened the 19th UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour in Valletta, Malta, bringing together national focal points from 23 UfM Member States, Social Partners and regional stakeholders to take stock of progress and set priorities for the forthcoming UfM Action Plan on Employment and Labour 2026–2028. The meeting notably marked the resumption of Syria’s participation in the UfM, a development highlighted by participants as an important step for inclusive regional dialogue. Held back-to-back with the UfM High-Level Policy Conference on Employment and Labour on 13 October, the Platform reviewed achievements… read more
