The preparatory phase of the WestMed Strategy initiative was finalised during June, with the approval of a report that gives an overview of the feedback received by the stakeholders. It also holds recommendations on which the European Community member states based their decision to approve moving forward into phase 2 of this initiative.

Four stakeholder meetings were organised at different locations around the Western-Mediterranean, each of them with a specific theme based on cooperation opportunities that had been identified. 

MedCities participated at the Stakeholder consultation meeting that took place in Barcelona on March 2016. The main objective was to discuss the project team’s first findings, check the practical feasibility of these opportunities and gauge the level of support for further developing this.

The second phase will focus on drafting the strategy and its action plan in much more detail.

It will further build on the cooperation options with broad stakeholder engagement. Both offline and online. Offline, with a number of events to reach stakeholders who are potentially interested and affected by such a strategy. And online, by inviting people  to join web-based discussions on specific topics that become paramount.

The implementation of Phase 2 is based on the findings and recommendations made under Phase 1, and also taking into consideration whether EU added value and/or political readiness required to underpin this process should be judged as sufficient.

Please, download here the reports on the context analysys and on the findings and recommendations from stakeholder involvement.

About the WestMed Strategy

The WestMed Strategy project is commissioned by the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) and the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).