Union for the Mediterranean - UfM

Tunis, Tunisia, 5-6 December 2016.

The 2nd Regional Conference of the UfM labelled project Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector will be co-organised by the Union for the Mediterranean on 5-6 December in Tunis, Tunisia. Moreover, the UfM Workshop on the PRPI will be held in the same dates.

About the project

“Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector” aims to deliver a set of country analysis and a regional action plan to improve the public governance and attract investments to the water sector of the Mediterranean region.

“Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water sector” is a joint undertaking of the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

For further information about the event, please contact Water & Environment Division: [email protected]

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Rome, 1 December 2016.

The UfM Ministerial Meeting on Energy will be held in Rome on 1 December and will be hosted by Italy’s Foreign Affairs Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Economic Development Minister Carlo Calenda. The 43 members of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) agreed to step up regional cooperation on energy in order to deliver a secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply, a major factor for stability and shared prosperity in the Mediterranean region.

At the meeting, co-chaired by the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, and the Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ibrahim Saif, the ministers will agree that policy dialogue and concrete initiatives will be carried out under the three UfM Energy Platforms: the UfM Regional Electricity Market Platform (UfM REM Platform), the UfM Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Platform (UfM REEE Platform) and the UfM Gas Platform.

The UfM Energy Platforms are flexible and effective structures which, under the coordination of the UfM Co-Presidency, organise and support systematic dialogue among UfM Members, financial institutions, regional organisations, industrial enterprises and experts.

For further information about the event, please contact Energy & Climate Action Division: [email protected]

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Rome, 1 December 2016. Gathered today in Rome for a meeting hosted by Italy's Foreign Affairs Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Economic Development Minister Carlo Calenda, the ministers in charge of energy from the 43 members of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) agreed to step up regional cooperation on energy in order to deliver a secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply, a major factor for stability and shared prosperity in the Mediterranean region. At the meeting, co-chaired by the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, and the Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ibrahim Saif, the ministers agreed that policy dialogue and concrete initiatives will be carried out under the three UfM energy platforms covering the priority policy areas, namely the UfM Regional Electricity Market Platform (UfM REM Platform), the UfM Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Platform (UfM REEE Platform) and the UfM Gas Platform. The UfM energy platforms are flexible and effective structures which, under the coordination of the UfM Co-Presidency, organise and support systematic dialogue among UfM Members, financial institutions, regional organisations, industrial enterprises and experts. Commissioner Arias Cañete said: "Cooperation in the energy sector is a major element of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. A secure, sustainable and competitive energy supply is a priority that Europe shares with its North African and Middle East partners, and is key to underpinning stability and prosperity across the region. To achieve these objectives, large scale investments in energy in the Mediterranean will be necessary. The bulk of the financing will have to come from private investors. We therefore need sound regulatory frameworks to attract this much-needed private capital". Minister Saif said: "Energy security is one of the major common concerns and challenges that are storming our region at the Mediterranean, adding more constrains to the economic and social development. Ministers and stakeholders today’s gathering stand testimonial that only by strategic cooperation, energy security can be achieved. Based on three pillars of technical cooperation conducted via three platforms, the general guidelines of strategic cooperation shall be identified; however, obstacles that persist facing this cooperation must be strategically addressed. Regulatory reforms can provide part of the solution, but efforts to tackle declining FDIs and lack of national funding schemes for infrastructural projects, is the other side of the coin.” UfM Secretary General Sijilmassi said: “Today’s meeting demonstrates the common will of 43 countries to work together in the areas of energy and climate action. The three platforms should make the regional framework for the development of renewable energies, energy efficiency and the integration of electricity markets and gas in the Mediterranean more coherent and clearer. These initiatives illustrate the UfM’s action-driven efforts towards deeper regional cooperation and economic integration based on a specific methodology which turns our political mandate into concrete projects through a multi-partner regional dialogue”. The UfM Gas Platform aims at establishing a regional structured dialogue allowing the gradual development of a Euro-Mediterranean gas market to promote security, transparency and predictability of both demand and supply in a manner that correctly and fairly balances the interests of producing and consuming countries and provides the basis for the long-term secure development of the abundant resources in the region. The UfM Regional Electricity Market Platform aims at the progressive integration of energy systems and energy markets in the UfM region and, in particular, at the enhancement of electricity exchanges and interconnections, in order to achieve a secure, affordable and sustainable electricity supply for the benefit of citizens and economies in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The UfM Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Platform aims at promoting the progressive deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, in order to foster socio-economic development, contribute to ensuring that all citizens and businesses of the region have access to secure, affordable and reliable modern energy services, and support mitigation and adaptation to climate change in the Euro-Mediterranean region. With the ministers' agreement now in place, the UfM energy platforms are established for structured policy dialogue with a view to identifying concrete partnership actions and following up on their implementation. As such, they will play a central role in taking energy cooperation in the Mediterranean region forward. More information UfM Ministerial Declaration Speech by European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete Speech by UfM Secretary General, Fathallah Sijilmassi Speech by Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Saif

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Brussels, date to be confirmed

For further information about the event, please contact Transport & Urban Development Division: 

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Casa Llotja de Mar, Barcelona, 30 November to 2 December 2016.

The Mediterranean region is experiencing a wide range of far-reaching social, political and economic transformations and growing economic potentialities. Despite its many economic opportunities, the Mediterranean has a lot still to overcome. Some economic, social and environmental challenges are more relevant and urgent than ever before.

To overcome these development obstacles and build a shared and sustainable future for all the region’s people, an increasingly clear action and commitments is required from businesses in partnership with the public sector and civil society.

Under the slogan “A need for action” the 10th MedaWeek edition will offer a unique platform to explore the business opportunities of competitive industries, which generate productive and sustainable employment and are considered as drivers for economic growth and regional development. During the three-day event a wide range of forums will offer the opportunity to share best practices and experiences, propose concrete projects and create new business opportunities.

The event is organised by ASCAME , the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in collaboration with the European institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and other international institutions.

Thousands of businessmen, institutional representatives and international organizations are expected to attend this year’s special edition.

 

Further information:

http://www.medaeconomicweek.org/

 

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29-30 november, Marseille

For further information about the event, please contact Transport & Urban Development Division: 

 

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Barcelona, 24 November 2016. First UfM Ad-Hoc SOM on Sustainable Urban Development will take place in Barcelona on 24 November 2016.

For further information about the event, please contact Transport & Urban Development Division: 

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Madrid, 23 November 2016. The UfM Secretary General, Fathallah Sijilmassi, participated in today’s seminar ‘Climate change agreements between Paris and Marrakech: ratifying and implementing’, in Madrid, to present the state of play of the Euro-Mediterranean climate and energy agenda. In line with its mandate to enhance regional cooperation on climate action, Secretary General Sijilmassi reaffirmed the UfM Secretariat’s commitment to further contribute towards regional cooperation on climate action and to the development of a common, region-wide Mediterranean agenda for action against climate change that is reflected through various activities carried out by the UfM at this year’s COP22 ‘Cop of Action’. As Secretary General Sijilmassi emphasised in this meeting: “The fight against climate change represents a great opportunity to implement new models of sustainable and inclusive development in the Mediterranean. It is essential that we take advantage of this opportunity to boost investment, foster technology transfer, create job opportunities for young people, strengthen the role of women and develop low-carbon production and consumption patterns that contribute towards greater integration, sustainable development and stability in the region”. During the COP22 in Marrakech, the Union for the Mediterranean and the European Commission launched the UfM Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Platform (REEE) to promote progressive deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in order to foster socio-economic development in the Euro-Mediterranean region. This initiative followed the launch of the UfM Regional Electricity Market Platform and the UfM Gas Platform earlier in 2016. This year will also witness the Meeting of the UfM Energy Ministers, on 1 December in Rome, to reinforce the Euro-Mediterranean regional framework on energy. Furthermore, the UfM and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) launched the innovative project ‘SEMED Private Renewable Energy Framework (SPREF)’. SPREF is a €227.5 million financing programme that will mobilise further investment from other parties of up to €834 million and aims to stimulate the development of private renewable energy markets in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. Participants highlighted two other important initiatives that were launched in Marrakech and are strongly  supported by the UfM: namely the signing of the 5+5 Ministerial Declaration endorsing the Action Plan to implement the Water Strategy in the Western Mediterranean by Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia, and the signing of an agreement between Morocco, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain to reinforce the electrical interconnections between the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean through Morocco. The seminar was attended by the Spanish Secretary of State for Environment, Pablo Saavedra Inaraja, the Honorary President of Gas Natural Fenosa, Salvador Gabarró, the Chief Executive Officer of Gas Natural Fenosa, Rafael Villaseca, and the Spanish UfM Senior Official, Ambassador Gabriel Busquets. More information UfM at COP22: Driving a shared Mediterranean Agenda for climate action Photo Gallery

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Barcelona, 22 November 2016. As an observer to the Deauville Process, the Union for the Mediterranean today hosted the second Deauville Partnership Senior Officials meeting, organised under the 2016 Japanese Presidency of the G7. With participation from both governance and finance tracks as well as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the main focus of the meeting was to discuss the progress made on economic governance strategic support for SMEs and future activities. The promotion of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the Arab Countries in Transition (ACT) is an important pillar of the partnership in view of their potential for job creation and stability in the region. Japan reviewed the progress made under its Presidency in 2016, reaffirming the importance of continuous consultations and cooperation among G7 Member States, regional partners and relevant international organisations to provide essential support to ACT. The Japanese presidency stated that an international symposium on the promotion of women’s public and socio-economic role in the MENA region will be organised on 12th December 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. UfM Secretary General Fathallah Sijilmassi underlined the importance of the regional dimension and the need to promote synergies between the Union for the Mediterranean and Deauville Partnership frameworks. He highlighted in particular that “economic reforms and financial support will be key to surmounting current regional challenges and seizing opportunities. Focusing on high-impact and quality project and policy dialogue in the activities promoted across the region requires financial resources and a collective effort.” Participants at the meeting underlined the importance of the MENA Transition Fund as a key tool in supporting ACT efforts towards structural reform. The participants welcomed pledges and donors’ collective efforts and commitments to the Fund, successfully completing the G7 goal of bringing the Fund to $250 million. Italy, which will take over the G7 Presidency as of January 2017, laid out its future engagements and priorities as regards the MENA Transition Fund and the future work of the Deauville Partnership.  

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