Background: The Mediterranean region stands at a pivotal moment for cross-continental cooperation. While EU member states benefit from advanced industries and stable economies, Southern and Eastern Mediterranean partners continue to face barriers, including limited access to technology, underdeveloped energy markets, and high youth unemployment. These disparities hinder integration and weaken the collective capacity to respond to climate and energy challenges. Yet youth across the region represent a strategic resource. Their innovation, cultural diversity, and commitment to sustainability can turn these divides into opportunities for shared prosperity and resilience.
The European Youth Energy Forum 2025, organised by EYEN in Catania, Italy, concluded with the policy paper “Strengthening Cross-Continental Energy Cooperation Through Youth Engagement.” It proposes the Mediterranean Green Skills for Youth (MGSY) framework – an initiative aimed at empowering young professionals, bridging socio-economic divides, and enhancing EU-Mediterranean energy cooperation through training, mobility, and joint academic -industry
partnerships.
