Tunis hosts the 5th WestMED Stakeholder Conference: Driving Blue Economy Action Across the Western Mediterranean

On 28 November 2025, over 200 stakeholders from both shores of the Mediterranean gathered in Tunis, Tunisia, for the 5^th WestMED Stakeholder Conference – a flagship event of the WestMED Initiative.

Building on previous editions in Barcelona, Algiers, Rome, and Malta, this year’s conference highlighted the role of maritime clusters, blue skills, ocean literacy, energy transition, and maritime spatial planning in promoting a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient blue economy across the Western Mediterranean sea basin.

The conference was hosted by the Tunisian co-presidency of the WestMED and organized by the WestMED Assistance Mechanism, with the support of the European Commission.

Recognizing Excellence: WestMED Project Awards 2025

A highlight of the conference was the announcement of the WestMED Project Awards, now in their third edition. These awards honor outstanding projects aligned with the WestMED priorities, providing winners with visibility and recognition across the Mediterranean blue economy community.

• Award winners showcased innovation in marine protected areas management, energy transition in fisheries and aquaculture, blue skills and maritime clusters, demonstrating how local initiatives can have a regional impact.
• This recognition not only boosts the projects’ visibility but also strengthens cross‑border cooperation, encouraging replication of similar initiatives in other sea basins.

This edition showed a record number of 71 applications.  The award winners were:

• BLUEPSOL: developing solar-powered solutions for sustainable fishing and aquaculture,
  reducing emissions and costs (also voted by participants as the ‘best-of-the-best’).
• YEP MED: connecting training centres, ports, and companies across the Mediterranean to align education with real labour market needs
• MPA4Change: empowering Mediterranean MPAs to adapt, build resilience, and combat climate change.
• BCThubs: building technology excellence hubs, advancing  underwater cultural heritage and sustainable blue economy 
• ​ CallmeBlue: strengthening Mediterranean clusters, fostering cooperation, empowering communities and enhancing skills inclusively.
  

European Ocean Pact & new Pact for the Mediterranean

Two major policy frameworks were discussed during the conference:

• EU Ocean Pact: presented as a unifying framework to safeguard Europe’s seas, it emphasizes sustainability, resilience, and innovation. The conference explored how WestMED priorities support this broader EU agenda.
• Pact for the Mediterranean: recently launched, this pact aims to align Mediterranean countries around shared commitments for a resilient and sustainable sea basin. The WestMED Assistance Mechanism was highlighted as a bridge between the pact’s ambitions and concrete project implementation.

Together, these pacts signal a new era of Mediterranean maritime cooperation, linking regional action to European strategies.

Launch of the Blue Skills Technical Stakeholder Group
Recognizing that skills gaps are among the biggest barriers to a thriving blue economy, the conference announced the creation of a new technical stakeholder group on Blue Skills.

• This group will bring together experts from the different Western Mediterranean countries to map skill needs, organise training programs, and promote ocean literacy.
• It will serve as a platform for universities, training centers, industry, and policymakers to coordinate efforts.
• By focusing on capacity building, the group aims to ensure that the Western Mediterranean workforce is equipped to drive the energy transition, innovation, digitalization and maritime spatial planning.

The 2025 WestMED Stakeholder Conference delivered three clear outcomes:

1. Celebration of award‑winning projects that exemplify innovation and cooperation.
2. Integration of the EU Ocean Pact and the Pact for the Mediterranean into WestMED’s operational agenda.
3. Launch of a technical stakeholder group on Blue Skills, setting the stage for long‑term workforce development.

Together, these outcomes reinforce the WestMED Initiative’s role as a catalyst for sustainable growth, resilience, and collaboration across the Western Mediterranean and beyond. Next year’s co-presidency will be taken over by Spain and Tunisia, in line with the rotating governance structure of the WestMED Initiative.

A WestMED steering committee meeting preceded the conference, engaging participating countries and the European Commission in discussions on progress and next steps under the initiative.

Conference report

Download the comprehensive conference report.