Ambassador Eichhorst announced the pact during a press conference in Cairo on Thursday, where she also outlined the outcomes of Cairo Water Week, organized by the EU delegation in Egypt this week.
The pact, announced shortly afterwards in Brussels, follows an agreement reached at the European Commission’s college level. Officials described it as a “significant step forward” in strengthening stability, security, and prosperity across the Mediterranean region, according to Eichhorst.
Eichhorst confirmed that the new pact reflects a renewed vision for cooperation, building on three decades of engagement since the Barcelona Process, which first established a Euro-Mediterranean partnership in 1995.
“This pact looks to the future,” Eichhorst said, describing it as a framework that will address shared challenges and opportunities over the coming decades, tailored to the priorities of each partner country.
Three pillars: people, economy, security
The pact is structured around three core pillars: people, economy, and security and migration. It was designed to advance inclusive growth, connectivity, and stability across the region.
The “people” pillar, described as the largest, will focus on connecting societies and generations, from youth and education to cultural and professional exchanges.
“This is really about all generations, young and old, in capitals and beyond, creating opportunities and stronger ties across the Mediterranean,” the ambassador added.
The economic and security components will aim to strengthen regional resilience, promote sustainable development, and enhance cooperation on migration management and border stability in line with the EU’s broader Mediterranean strategy.
Renewed focus on Mediterranean partnership
Eichhorst stressed that the new pact underscores the strategic importance of the Mediterranean for the European Union, marking a continued commitment to jointly facing regional challenges through partnership rather than unilateral action.
“The Mediterranean has always been central to Europe’s identity and security. This pact reaffirms that we are in this together, building on 30 years of partnership, but with a renewed focus on the future,” the EU official said.
EU, Egypt to strengthen climate cooperation
Eichhorst reaffirmed the EU commitment to working closely with Egypt on addressing climate change and advancing the green transition, highlighting that climate action will remain a central element of all ongoing and future cooperation programmes between the two partners.
She stated that the bloc is determined to align its climate and sustainability efforts with Egypt’s national priorities, emphasizing that environmental collaboration will extend across policy, technical, and financial dimensions.
“We are deeply focused within the European Union on addressing climate change through various legislative acts, and we will do this absolutely together with Egypt,” the official said.
“All the programmes we are developing this year include components dedicated to tackling climate challenges,” she added.
Supporting Egypt’s green industries
The EU will also provide technical assistance to help Egyptian companies adapt to the climate and carbon requirements being implemented across the European market, ensuring that local industries remain competitive under new environmental regulations.
“We will share technical knowledge with companies in Egypt to help them meet the EU’s carbon and climate compliance standards,” the official explained. “This is crucial not only for Egypt’s economy but for the entire Mediterranean region.”
Financial cooperation under review
Eichhorst confirmed that climate-related action plans will be developed jointly with each partner country, including Egypt, to determine future financial assistance frameworks.
“Every country will work with us on developing tailored action plans for climate cooperation, this is not something the EU does alone,” the ambassador said.
However, Eichhorst noted that broader discussions are currently underway in Brussels on the EU’s overall budget priorities, and that no new funding allocations beyond existing commitments have yet been finalized.
A statement underscored the EU’s approach to treating climate policy and green transition as pillars of its growing strategic partnership with Egypt, alongside investment, trade, and social development cooperation.
The EU hailed the “deep, growing” partnership with Egypt in water, climate, and green innovation sectors.
Eichhorst reaffirmed that Egypt stands as one of its strongest and most dynamic partners in the water sector, highlighting years of joint work on sustainable water management, climate adaptation, digital innovation, and youth engagement under the broader EU-Egypt green transition agenda.
Speaking at the Cairo Water Week, an EU official praised the “record participation and scale” of this year’s event, noting that the turnout reflected the strength of the EU-Egypt partnership and the alignment of both sides’ priorities.
“We are key partners, we share the same interests, the same vision, and the same way forward in this vital sector,” the official said. “Each year we add new layers of cooperation, in governance, finance, investment, and youth engagement, and every year it gets stronger,” the official said.
Long-standing water and investment cooperation
Since 2017, the EU and Egypt have expanded their collaboration across governance, community participation, and water finance.
The EU has contributed 600 million euros in direct support to Egypt’s water sector. This has helped leverage an additional 3.5 billion euros in funding and generate 30,000 permanent and 600,000 short-term jobs across 21 Egyptian governorates, benefiting nearly 24 million citizens.
Egyptian minister of water resources and irrigation previously highlighted over 200 million euros in public financing channelled into joint EU-Egypt water projects in the past five years.
The partnership also focuses on the water-food-energy nexus, integrating sustainability efforts to boost food security, rural development, and renewable energy production.
Regional cooperation and research momentum
At the regional level, the EU hosted the sixth Union for the Mediterranean Conference on Water, Finance, and Investment, which saw strong participation from Mediterranean countries and institutions. The event pushed forward efforts to mobilize commercial investment for water resilience across the region.
The EU’s PRIMA research initiative, with 325 million euros invested so far, has become a long-term science and innovation platform with Egypt, now being expanded under the NextMed Horizon Europe framework to link research with Egypt’s national implementation agenda.
“Our cooperation in research and innovation is now being connected with Egypt’s on-the-ground action plans,” the official said. “This is a living partnership that grows every year.”
Youth, digital innovation, and climate-smart solutions
A highlight of the week was the launch of AquaDialog, a new platform connecting youth innovators, scientists, and startups in Egypt’s water sector.
Participants in the EU-supported hackathon showcased digital solutions for smart irrigation, water desalination, leak detection, and reuse monitoring, linking technology with practical pilots through labs, utilities, and incubators.
“It was inspiring to see young Egyptian entrepreneurs, men and women, working on groundbreaking ideas to make water management smarter and more sustainable,” the official said.
Scaling up regional and private investment
The EU is scaling up its own European Investment Bank (EIB) portfolio for water projects to 15 billion euros between 2025 and 2027 within the Union, with the aim of crowding in private capital for projects in Egypt and other Mediterranean countries.
“You invest in the EU, and you attract private investors to invest in the region; this is how we multiply impact,” the official explained.
Global outreach and shared challenges
The EU emphasized that lessons from Cairo Water Week are influencing discussions at the UN level, Africa Climate Week, and ahead of COP29, as part of a broader push to make Egypt’s experience a regional and global model.
The official also underscored that both the EU and Egypt face similar climate-related challenges, including floods and droughts, reinforcing the need for faster, collective action.
“We have the same climate challenges, floods, droughts, and rising water stress, and we must bring together all our resources to address them,” the official said.
The event concluded with strong commitments to expand EU-Egypt collaboration in climate resilience, sustainable finance, and innovation, marking another milestone in a partnership that continues to deepen year after year.
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