With the adoption of its first Action Plan in April 2026, the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean (see ACA Newsletter – Education Europe, October 2025), has moved from vision to concrete implementation. Based on a broad framework for a “Common Mediterranean Space” set out in the original Pact, the Action Plan puts forward 21 co-designed actions to be launched already in 2026. Conceived as a living document, the Action Plan will be updated twice a year in line with the European Commission’s programming cycle. 

For higher education and research, two main actions stand out. 

The Action Plan outlines the implementation of the Mediterranean University, an initiative to strengthen cooperation between higher education institutions in the region. In practice, this will take the form of a consortium of universities, supported by a coordinating Secretariat, working together on joint programmes and micro-credentials, while also encouraging the mobility of students, staff, and researchers. The Action Plan foresees the establishment of a university consortium supported by a coordinating structure by Q2 2026, as well as the launch of a feasibility study for a future multi-campus institution and the rollout of joint programmes, both foreseen for Q3 2026. 

Funding for the action combines EUR 11 million under NDICI–Global Europe and EUR 15.2 million from Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education, complemented by contributions from EU Member States and partner countries. General interest in participation has been expressed by a core group of EU countries (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain) and Southern Mediterranean partners (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia), with potential extension to Gulf countries. 

The Action Plan also introduces Innovation and Research Centres, with the aim of bringing together universities and the private sector to improve knowledge and technology transfer involving innovators, startups and investors. The action will support the creation of a “MED Innovation Platform” connecting researchers, entrepreneurs and investors, alongside a Deep Tech Transformation training scheme to upskill talent.  

Key milestones include the presentation of a Euro-Mediterranean Scalability Strategy (Q2 2026) and the organisation of the Mediterranean Innovation Fair (Q4 2026). Funding is primarily foreseen through Horizon Europe with additional contributions expected from EU Member States and Southern Mediterranean partners. Countries interested in the action are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain from the EU side, along with Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia as possible Southern Mediterranean partners.