Yesterday, ASCAME visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg during the plenary week. On behalf of the institution, Mr. Koussay Boulaich, Senior Diplomatic Adviser to ASCAME President, Dr. Josep Santacreu, and Ms. Miriam González, newly appointed General Coordinator, had the opportunity to engage with key Members of the European Parliament from both the Socialists and Democrats Group and the EPP Group, the two most influential political forces within the institution.
The dedicated session with the Socialist Group was led by Mr. Nikos Papandreou, who acted as rapporteur, and included the participation of Members of the European Parliament Mr. Giorgio Gori, Ms. Maria Noichl, and Ms. Georgia Tramacere, as well as Head of Unit, Ms. Teresa Mergulhao and Mr. Francesco Cerasani.
The members we met are part of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, and discussions took place in the context of the preparation of its upcoming plenary session, which will bring together European and Arab parliamentarians next July in Egypt. One of the key priorities at this stage is the development and design of the Pact for the Mediterranean. In this context, we underscored that ASCAME’s contribution could be highly relevant in addressing essential aspects of economic and trade cooperation across the Mediterranean region.
ASCAME shared the following key messages:
- ASCAME’s mission is to connect the region’s key economic actors to foster economic development, strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, and promote greater regional integration, with the private sector as an essential driving force.
- Our institution embodies the Euro-Mediterranean spirit born in Barcelona. For the first time in 43 years, Barcelona holds both the Presidency and the Secretariat of ASCAME, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process.
- ASCAME welcomes the inclusion of the private sector’s voice in the design and implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean. Our network of Chambers of Commerce plays a fundamental role as an intermediary between institutions and businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, which form the backbone of the Mediterranean economy.
- This engagement builds on the recent participation of ASCAME’s President, Dr. Josep Santacreu, in an informal hearing with stakeholders on the Pact for the Mediterranean, led by Member of the European Parliament, Mr. Nicola Zingaretti.
- One of the institution’s key objectives is to strengthen ties between Chambers of Commerce and European institutions. As a next step, the European Parliament is expected to organize a dedicated meeting with Chambers of Commerce ahead of the presentation of the final Pact report in September.
Finally, Mr. Nikos Papandreou recognised the importance of systematically including the private sector in these debates and expressed support for holding a dedicated session with ASCAME Presidents ahead of the adoption of the Pact for the Mediterranean. He also highlighted his participation in the Euro-Mediterranean Business and Economic Summit of Piraeus in November 2026, further underlining his engagement with regional economic cooperation initiatives.