Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, attended the second meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in Rome, Italy. At a moment when the increasingly urgent issues of water scarcity and climate pressure are reshaping priorities across the region, the EU welcomes the common solution to water challenges found during the meeting of the 43 Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean.

In particular, Ministers and high-level representatives responsible for water endorsed the second UfM Ministerial Declaration on Water, setting out the region’s ambition and priorities for achieving water-related Sustainable Development Goals from 2026 to 2030. They also launched the Rome Initiative on Water as the Mediterranean’s contribution to the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi this December. Building on existing structures and frameworks, such as the EU Water Resilience Strategy and the Pact for the Mediterranean, this initiative will help turn national goals into practical projects, which will benefit Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries.

Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, will continue this work on Friday at the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, where she will present the Pact for the Mediterranean’s initiative to strengthen water resilience across the region. Commissioner Roswall said: “The Mediterranean region is one of the regions in the world most vulnerable to water scarcity and the impacts of climate change. By setting out the priorities for national action and regional cooperation on sustainable water management, building a water-smart economy, climate adaptation and mitigation, financing and infrastructure, I am convinced that today’s meeting will significantly contribute to enhanced water resilience in the region.”