The fragile ceasefire in Gaza has offered a moment of respite after months of human suffering. It also forces Europe to confront an uncomfortable truth: instability in the Southern neighbourhood has never been contained there. It shapes Europe’s security, economy and politics, writes Nasser Kamel, secretary general of the Union for the Mediterranean.
My argument is simple. Thirty years after the birth of the Barcelona Process, Europe cannot secure its future without a stronger, more integrated and more stable Mediterranean. What was once a diplomatic aspiration is now a strategic necessity.
When the Barcelona Process began in 1995, the Mediterranean was divided by clear political, economic and social lines. The ambition then was to turn a region defined by separation into one defined by cooperation. In many ways, this succeeded. Over these three decades, the countries of the Mediterranean developed a shared agenda, and increasingly, a common identity. Ministers, local authorities, civil society and experts built habits of working together that did not exist before. This is no small achievement in a region marked by deep divisions and complex politics.
But we must be honest about what has not been achieved. We did not unlock the full economic potential that deeper regional integration could have created. Europe’s own experience shows what is possible: the transformation driven by the single market over the past forty years lifted incomes, modernised industries and gave Europeans a more resilient economic base. The Mediterranean did not follow this trajectory, and the costs are clear today in fragile regional value chains, fragmented markets and missed opportunities for growth on both shores.
And the most painful reality remains: as a region, and together with the wider international community, we have not been able to secure a lasting and just peace in the Middle East. The cycles of conflict remind us that institutional frameworks of cooperation cannot alone succeed without political will.
Today, the meeting of the UfM foreign ministers in Barcelona, alongside civil society, regional and local authorities and key regional cooperation organisations, comes at a moment when the international environment is shifting fast. Global tensions are reshaping trade and investment patterns, increasing the pressure on the continent to strengthen cooperation with its closest neighbours. Supply chains are strained, energy insecurity is rising and global competition is intensifying. At the same time, the Mediterranean is warming about 20 percent faster than the global average. Water scarcity, collapsing harvests and climate-related displacement are reshaping the region in ways that directly affect food markets, labour dynamics and political debates across Europe.
This is why the decisions taken now do matter. The new UfM strategic vision aims to make regional cooperation more focused and more agile by concentrating on three essentials: connecting people, connecting economies and connecting countries. This is not institutional language. It is a practical approach to create mobility for talent, scale opportunities for business and strengthen collective resilience to climate and security shocks.
The Pact for the Mediterranean, endorsed today in Barcelona by the European Union and its Southern partners, reinforces this direction. It brings a clearer framework to improve livelihoods, support sustainable and more integrated economies, and enhance joint preparedness. It is a positive sign that Europe recognises that its stability depends on what happens across the basin, not only within its borders.
The next decades can be brighter than the past if two conditions are met. First, governments must show the political will to lower tensions and prioritise cooperation over zero-sum bargaining. Second, the region must use its assets more effectively: its young population, its renewable energy sources, its cultural ties and its capacity for innovation. With these, the Mediterranean can become a space of shared prosperity rather than vulnerability.
After seven years as the UfM Secretary General, I remain convinced of one thing: Europe’s future is inseparable from the Mediterranean’s stability and success. A more integrated Euro-Mediterranean region strengthens Europe’s security, competitiveness and climate resilience. A fragmented one weakens it.
The Barcelona Process is a commitment to work together for a shared future. Thirty years on, that commitment matters more than ever.
A career diplomat for the Egyptian government, Nasser Kamel held the position of Ambassador of Egypt to the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018. He was also Ambassador to France in the period 2006-2012, during which he took part in the drafting of the Joint Declaration of the 2008 Paris Summit that marked the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean. Furthermore, between 2012 and 2014, he was Assistant Minister for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs. From 2004 to 2006, he was the Director of Egypt’s Public Information Service. Prior to this position, he served in various embassies, including Washington (1984-1988), Lisbon (1990-1994), Tunis (1994-1998), Brussels (1999-2001) and Paris (2001-2004).
