How urgent it is for Europe to play an active role in the stability and prosperity of the Mediterranean region?

Although speakers will be announced in the coming days, they are announcing this event now to make sure you save the date.

About the debate

The Mediterranean sea is bordered by twenty (20) countries, which together account for 7% of world population and 10% of world GDP. The wealthy European countries are occupying its northern shores, many now finally starting to emerge from a period of economic turmoil, enjoy a strong democratic tradition but are also characterised by an ageing population, sluggish growth rates, and weaker economic prospects. The less economically developed nations of the region in North Africa, SouthEastern Europe and the Levant present almost a mirror image: young populations, political systems in transition, and impressive growth potential.

The launch of the Juncker Plan has kept economic performance and investment firmly at the top of the EU agenda. With GDP growth in countries in North Africa and the Levant forecast to stay above 4% -higher than the global average – in coming years and growth among the EU member states in the region expected to remain at the best at 2%, there is a clear economic opportunity for Europe.

Despite strong complementarities, common needs, and a long shared history, at the moment there is relatively little cooperation between Med countries at either the economic or political level: intra-Med trade accounts for less than a third of all trade Mediterranean countries engage in, and there are not enough political fora and initiatives aiming at closer political interaction.

Closer cooperation between Mediterranean countries and its positive effects on economic growth and stability may be secured by a renewed attention of the EU towards the region, notably by enhancing access to capital and sustaining good governance in order to empower both the private and the public sector to invest in education, infrastructure and innovation.

What impact can closer co-operation between Med countries have, and what does the EU stand to gain economically and also politically? How urgent is it for the European Union to play an active role to support growth, stability and the prosperity of the Mediterranean region?

The event will commence with a welcome drink at 6h00 pm, followed by a debate at 6h30 pm. After the debate there will be an opportunity for questions and discussions.

They look forward to seeing you at 6h00 pm on the 13th of January at Science14 Atrium, rue de la science 14-B, Brussels.

All the debates are followed by a drink in a convivial atmosphere.

Read more and register here.