Ms President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

25 years ago – I was there – the Barcelona Declaration set the goal to create an area of peace and shared prosperity around the Mediterranean. What have we achieved? And what are the remaining challenges and our priorities for the future?

Well, I do not want to be gloomy today, but I have to say that the situation in our Southern Neighbourhood has in some aspects worsened. We have not achieved some of our objectives and challenges have been growing faster than our collective response to them.

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We had a Ministerial Meeting with Southern Neighbours in Barcelona, last November. And this discussion gave us some ideas that I would like to convey to you.

First, we need an inclusive approach as we develop greater economic autonomy – some prefer to say sovereignty, I do not mind whatever it is, but it needs to be more engaging on climate change and digitalisation. We use these two words so much that we are going to use them.

Second, we need an investment plan, building on the success of the External Investment Plan. But the needs are so big that we cannot expect to fulfill all of them with public money. We need private engagement to create jobs, especially for youth.

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I want to stress the need to focus our help on the youth. They need a peaceful and prosperous future.

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Finally, most of the region’s challenges cannot be addressed only bilaterally. They have to increase their regional and sub-regional cooperation. Only 5% of the trade among countries in North Africa is trade among themselves.

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In any case, we have to be more committed to a partnership with the Mediterranean. It has to be stronger than ever, because it is more needed than ever.

25 years after the Barcelona Declaration, last month, in November in Barcelona, all states from the North and the South of the Mediterranean represented there, reaffirmed this commitment.

I hope and I am sure that it will have the help and the support of the European Parliament.

Thank you.

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Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-200238