Erasmus of the Mediterranean: preventing radicalism and promoting development through education

The EPP Group advocates for concrete projects to stabilise the Mediterranean region

"It is extremely important for the EU not to limit itself to immediate answers to the migration crisis in the Mediterranean, but to also anticipate within a broader and smarter strategy. This means reinforcing our political ties with the countries of the Mediterranean, speaking with and listening to our partners and converging towards shared objectives of peace, stability and prosperity. But we all know that concrete projects are the cement of what we want to build together," stressed Mariya Gabriel, EPP Group Vice-Chairwoman for Euromed and the Union for the Mediterranean, following a working visit of EPP Group MEPs to the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in Barcelona.

It is extremely important for the EU not to limit itself to immediate answers to the migration crisis in the Mediterranean, but to also anticipate within a broader and smarter strategy Mariya Gabriel

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is an intergovernmental organisation bringing together the 28 European Union Member States and 15 countries from the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean. It provides a unique forum for enhancing regional cooperation and dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The UfM Secretariat in Barcelona is the operational institution that empowers this regional dialogue between the UfM Member States and stakeholders, fostering synergies among them and promoting cooperation projects and initiatives with a direct impact on people's lives.

Financial commitments to match ambitions for peace, security and prosperity

Along with MEPs Santiago Fisas and Francesc Gambus, the Vice-Chairwoman was briefed on the different projects supported and led by the UfM in the region. Particular focus has been given to projects for business development, energy and transport and for higher education.

An Erasmus of the Mediterranean is a channel for investing in our youth and in our future

"One particular project which held my attention is an 'Erasmus of the Mediterranean'. The idea has been on the table for some years now, but it needs massive political investment. An Erasmus of the Mediterranean is a channel for investing in our youth and in our future," highlighted the EPP Group Vice-Chair.

"We call on the Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean to give it a new impetus and match ambitions with political and financial commitments. The UfM is not just one more organisation to which we should contribute financially, it has to be seen as the field worker for our great ambitions for peace, security and prosperity for Europe and the Mediterranean region," concludes Gabriel.