The initiative, dubbed the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation (T-MED), was launched during the European Sustainable Energy Week by European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica and Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen.
It aims to unlock large-scale investments, create more than 100,000 jobs, and add 15 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity by 2035 as part of efforts to strengthen energy security and accelerate the green transition.
The programme forms a flagship component of the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean and is expected to mobilize up to 25 billion euros in public and private investments over the next decade. To support the effort, the European Commission has earmarked more than five billion euros in guarantee capacity under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), designed to reduce investment risks and attract additional financing.
According to the Commission, T-MED seeks to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, hydrogen projects, clean technology manufacturing, and modern electricity infrastructure across Mediterranean countries, while fostering a more integrated regional energy market.
The initiative is expected to contribute to the development of 15 GW of additional renewable energy capacity by 2035 and support regulatory reforms aimed at improving investment conditions and facilitating energy-sector development across partner countries.
Officials said the programme would bring together governments, development finance institutions, private investors, and local stakeholders to strengthen cross-border energy cooperation and diversify regional energy systems and supply chains.
T-MED will be implemented through five pillars, including investment mobilization, regulatory cooperation, workforce skills development, electricity grid modernization, and renewable energy trading, as well as industrial cooperation in clean technologies.
A dedicated T-MED Skills Agenda will support vocational training, university partnerships, and specialized education programmes in engineering, digital technologies, and green finance to equip local workforces for the expanding clean energy sector.
The initiative will also support upgrades to electricity networks, encourage cross-border power trade, and promote the deployment of smart-grid technologies to facilitate greater integration of renewable energy sources.
In parallel, T-MED aims to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities and build more resilient clean technology supply chains across the Mediterranean through industrial partnerships and innovation programmes.
As part of the next phase, the European Commission has opened calls for expressions of interest from private investors and project developers, with the first operational meeting of the T-MED Investment Platform scheduled for October 2026. The Commission expects the first EU-Mediterranean clean technology industrial partnerships to be launched in 2027.
Šuica said the Mediterranean region possesses an estimated 2,300 GW of untapped renewable energy potential, more than double the EU’s current installed capacity, with solar and wind energy production costs estimated to be 30 to 40 percent lower than in Europe.
She noted that despite this potential, many countries in the region remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels, making them vulnerable to price volatility and geopolitical shocks.
Jørgensen said the initiative reflects a broader shift toward electrified energy systems based on clean energy and stronger regional interconnections, arguing that greater investment in renewable energy infrastructure would reduce exposure to fluctuations in fossil fuel markets.
Launched in Barcelona in November 2025, the Pact for the Mediterranean is the EU’s framework for deepening cooperation with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, with sustainable economic integration and green growth among its core priorities.
In March, the European Commission released eight million euros in humanitarian support to Egypt for 2026 as part of a broader 450 million euro package to back vulnerable people across the Middle East, including Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.
This year, Egypt received the second billion-euro tranche from the EU’s next 7.4 billion euro financing package agreed with the union under the strategic partnership launched in 2024.
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