30.12.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 498/9
30. considers that the macro-regional strategy for the Mediterranean will address these challenges not by replacing existing strategies but by complementing their actions and thus maximising their impact, finding answers to common challenges, such as those that arise from the fight against climate change and from the digital transition, transforming them into great opportunities for sustainable development, thus contributing to a just and inclusive green transition by taking advantage of shared opportunities, paying special attention to the human dimension and to opportunities for young people, thus unlocking the economic potential of the region for the benefit of citizens;
31. stresses that a macro-regional strategy, to provide meaningful solutions to shared challenges, must necessarily be designed at Mediterranean basin level and cover the three sub-basins: Western, Eastern and Adriatic-Ionian.
It must therefore be open to all from its inception and ultimately aim to cover the entire Mediterranean basin on the three shores;
32. calls for the Mediterranean macro-regional strategy, like any maritime macro-regional strategy, to pay particular attention to island territories in accordance with Article 174 TFEU; calls for the specific characteristics and vulnerabilities of these territories to be effectively taken into account by establishing a stronger partnership, with concrete and coordinated actions between these territories, the Member States and the European Union;
33. points out that this regional integration should proceed incrementally, on the basis of a voluntary approach by Mediterranean national, regional, and local authorities, given the challenges posed by certain unstable security, political, and diplomatic situations;
Key principles of multilevel governance at Mediterranean level 34. proposes that the governance of a future macro-regional strategy in the Mediterranean fully reflect the principle of multi-level governance, involving European, national, regional, and local authorities as well as their respective associations and Euroregions;
35. considers that, in order to be operational, a Mediterranean macro-regional strategy must be based on a solid and representative governance scheme with: (i) a general assembly at political level, involving European, national and regional authorities, (ii) an executive board bringing together one national coordination member (from regional or national level)of each country represented in the strategy, and promoting inclusion of regional and local authorities in the decision-making process, as well as observers from networks of regional and local authorities, their respective associations and Euroregions, and (iii) thematic action groups to develop and implement concrete cooperation projects, which will mobilise public and private socio-economic actors, the academia and the civil society;
36. proposes that, building from the good practice of WestMED, an annual rotating co-presidency be established, held in a duet by countries from EU and Partner countries and collaborating with the close support of representative organisations of regional and local authorities.
The presidency should evolve considering past, current and future presiding countries and maintaining a balance between EU and Partner countries represented in the strategy, while the support from the representative organisation of regional and local authorities would also rotate in the same basis.
These dynamics are essential to ensure that the various governance bodies of the macro-regional strategy are considered and linked to provide strategic guidance for the macro-region’s action, through annual work programmes.
A technical secretariat (Mediterranean Macro-Regional Strategy Secretariat, MRSS) should coordinate and support the strategy;
37. proposes that, in order to ensure compatibility with existing initiatives, representatives of key international and Euro-Mediterranean institutions, bodies and initiatives, such as the UfM, ARLEM and MedCoopAlliance, be involved in the implementation of the strategy, as well as representatives of the EUSAIR and WestMED; the EGTCs also provide useful prospects, as ‘laboratories’ for multi-level governance, to support the objectives of the new Agenda for the Mediterranean;
A macro-regional strategy focusing on priority challenges 38. considers that a macro-regional strategy in the Mediterranean should target a limited number of shared challenges, which will be addressed gradually over time; underlines that the green and digital transformation are key challenges, which should be addressed as a matter of priority;