The European Commission proposed a long-term environmental strategy for cleaning up and protecting the Mediterranean Sea. This unique ecosystem is deteriorating as environmental pressures such as pollution and construction increase. The major oil spill that occurred during the recent conflict in Lebanon has dramatically highlighted the vulnerability of the region’s environment. The Mediterranean’s decline threatens the health of the 143 million people living on its shores as well as the long-term development of key economic sectors that depend on the sea, such as fishing and tourism.
This strategy aims to revitalise and strengthen cooperation between the EU, the Mediterranean neighbours and the relevant international organisations to safeguard the region’s environment and natural resources for the long term.

Environmental co-operation has been an important aspect of our dialogue with Mediterranean partners since the launching of the Barcelona Process. The environment is an excellent example of an area where we can succeed only when we work together with close neighbours.

The Mediterranean is the largest European sea, shared by 427 million people living in the 22 countries and territories around it and visited by some 175 million more every year. Their well-being depends upon the health of its environment. But despite nearly 30 years of international efforts to protect the sea, the Mediterranean remains fragile and continues to deteriorate as environmental pressures increase.

The environmental needs of the Mediterranean far outweigh the means currently available to deal with them. Consequently international organisations, the donor community and above all the countries around the sea will need to make significant additional and coordinated efforts if a cleaner Mediterranean is to be achieved. In this context, the Commission intends to concentrate its own efforts and limited resources in areas where it can bring clear added value.

The strategy’s key aims are to: a) Reduce pollution levels across the region; b)Promote sustainable use of the sea and its coastline; c) Courage neighbouring countries to cooperate on environmental issues; d) Assist partner countries in developing effective institutions and policies to protect the environment: f) Involve NGOs and the public in environmental decisions affecting them.
In line with the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, these aims will be achieved through four means: financial assistance from existing and already planned EU aid programmes; strengthened dialogue with the region’s representatives; improved coordination with other organisations and partners; and sharing of EU experience in dealing with the problems of the Mediterranean and other regions.

A key pillar of the strategy is ’Horizon 2020’, an initiative to tackle the top sources of Mediterranean pollution by the year 2020 that was endorsed by leaders of Euro-Mediterranean (Euro-Med) countries at the 10th Anniversary Euro-Med Summit in Barcelona last year. The Commission is building a coalition of partners to implement the initiative.