9-10 July 2024, Cairo, Egypt. The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), with the support of the German Development Cooperation and Climate & Company, organised the UfM Workshop on Sustainable Supply Chains on 9-10 July 2024. The event, also supported by the Egyptian Commercial Service (ECS), aimed to present and discuss the latest initiatives highlighting the importance of supply chain considerations in defining sustainable economic activities and underscoring the need for enhanced value chain reporting.

The workshop emphasised the necessity of collaboration between Mediterranean partner countries and the European Union (EU) to meet its environmental targets and contribute to global sustainability efforts. Focusing on EU regulatory measures such as the European Green Deal, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the sustainable finance regulatory framework, the workshop sought to enhance understanding and facilitate future international cooperation. Over 80 participants, including government officials, private sector representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, and academia, attended and engaged in extensive interactions through tailored group activities.

The first day included welcoming remarks from Ms. Marwa Farghali, UfM Senior Economic Advisor, who encouraged active and constructive participation. Mr. Giacomo Bogo from the EU Delegation to Egypt discussed regional and global trade realities while Mr. Yahya ElWathik Bellah Ahmed, First Undersecretary and Head of ECS, reviewed Egypt’s trade and investment flows and the outcomes of the recent EU-Egypt Investment Conference. Sessions by Climate & Company experts covered the European Green Deal and its implications for sustainable supply chains, focusing on EUDR and CBAM. The afternoon featured round table discussions on challenges and opportunities, inter-institutional cooperation, regional cooperation, and international goal alignment.

The second day focused on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which mandates companies to integrate human rights and environmental considerations into their operations and supply chains. A session on the EU sustainable finance disclosure framework discussed the connections between EUDR, CBAM, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the EU Taxonomy Regulation. In his closing remarks, UfM Head of Sector for Economic Development and Employment Mohammed Elrazzaz emphasised CBAM’s importance for trade integration in the UfM region. Ms. Farghali highlighted upcoming UfM activities and the significance of public-private partnerships in policymaking for implementing the new EU regulations.