50th Anniversary
of the Barcelona Convention
Environmental Governance and the Mediterranean: training and educational activities at the final PFSL event
On 22 May, at the Liceo Scientifico Statale “Vito Volterra”, the final Info-Day of the school-to-work training programme “A Lesson in Environmental Governance: Discovering Actions for the Mediterranean Sea and Its Coasts” was held. The programme was activated by the school in collaboration with the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Information and Communication (INFO/RAC) and organised by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA).
WES-BCA: approval of the 2026–2027 Work Plan of the EU project on environment and climate
The 2026–2027 Work Plan of the European project “Water and Environment Support – Biodiversity and Climate Action (WES-BCA)” was approved during the 2nd Steering Committee Meeting (SCM), dedicated to the monitoring of activities in the Southern Neighbourhood region.
The project involves eight countries of the Middle East and North Africa and has a budget of 7 million euros for the period November 2024 – November 2027.
ISPRA and cetacean monitoring: the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative 2026 gets underway
In the summer of 2026, the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative will resume, the synoptic survey aimed at estimating the distribution and abundance of cetacean populations across the entire Mediterranean basin. The initiative, promoted by the countries participating in the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS), relies on the coordinated use of naval and aerial assets to provide updated scientific data, following up on the first edition carried out in 2018.
New Publication by MedWaves
MedWaves has published a new policy paper, “Weaving a Just Transition to Circular Economy through territorial cooperation: Policy Recommendations from the Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission“, developed within the framework of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission.
The publication explores the role of the Just Transition (JT) in strengthening the shift towards a circular economy, highlighting how environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and territorial cohesion must progress together.
European State of the Climate: record heatwaves from the Arctic to the Mediterranean
The results of the European State of the Climate (ESOTC) 2025 report have been published by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which implements the Copernicus Climate Change Service, and by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The report brings together the work of around 100 scientific contributors and provides a comprehensive overview of key changes in climate indicators across the world’s fastest-warming continent, including cold environments, marine ecosystems, rivers and lakes, and wildfire risk.
Pavel Goldin is the new Vice President of the ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee
Pavel Goldin is the new Vice President of the ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee for the three-year period 2026–2028. An expert on cetaceans of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, Pavel has dedicated his career to the study of marine mammals, with research ranging from anatomy and evolution to ontogeny and population dynamics, up to the paleontology of fossil whales.
EU and Mediterranean countries renew commitment to restore fish stocks
The European Union and Mediterranean countries have confirmed their willingness to strengthen cooperation for the recovery of fish stocks, announcing the adoption of a new “MedFish4Ever” declaration expected in 2027. The agreement was reached during a high-level ministerial conference in Nicosia, organised by the European Commission and the Republic of Cyprus.
The new declaration will build on the agreement signed in 2017, which launched a ten-year plan to make fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean more sustainable.
UNEP/MAP in Athens: Steering Committee meetings for EU projects SEMPA, EcApMEDPLUS and MarineLitter MEDPLUS
From 28 to 30 April 2026, UNEP/MAP hosted in Athens the Steering Committee meetings for the EU-funded projects SEMPA, EcApMEDPLUS and MarineLitterMEDPLUS, highlighting best practices and strong support for EcAp, IMAP, marine litter management and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at national level.
