Interreg Euro-MED and 69 mediterranean regions across 14 countries: Improving lives and creating better tourism
The European Union’s ability to bring people and countries together for the benefit of all is clearly demonstrated by the Interreg Euro-MED Programme, which connects 69 regions from 14 countries along the northern shore of the Mediterranean, four of which are not EU Member States. The programme brings together teachers, entrepreneurs, fishers and citizens, as well as public administrations, universities, private organisations and civil society organisations from Italy, Spain, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and North Macedonia.
Their shared goal is to improve the management of the Mediterranean region, particularly tourism, in order to protect the environment and mitigate climate change. Estimates suggest that the programme could benefit around 25 per cent of the population of the European Union and the four participating non-EU countries, representing more than 140 million people.
Research shows that coastal regions, islands, rural communities and urban areas face a range of distinct challenges and opportunities. The Mediterranean region is warming approximately 20 per cent faster than the global average, while many rural, coastal and island areas are already experiencing economic and social vulnerabilities. In some parts of Southern Europe, the risk of poverty remains high and access to opportunities is uneven. Climate change, biodiversity loss, pressure on water resources, and social inequalities linked to seasonal work patterns further highlight the need for systemic change in how tourism is managed.
For example, 1.2 million hectares of seagrass meadows stretch across the Euro-MED coastline. Despite their ecological importance, seagrass ecosystems are often overlooked, with nearly 7% being lost each year due to fish farming, bottom trawling, anchoring, coastal erosion and nutrient runoff. The ARTEMIS project aims to restore these meadows by integrating the economic and societal benefits of seagrass ecosystems into public and private policies and investment decisions. It employs advanced restoration techniques and innovative Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes.
Given that the European Union welcomed 582 million international tourists in 2025, generating three billion overnight stays and contributing seven per cent of the Union’s revenues, the importance of a programme such as this becomes clear.
“The key strength of Interreg Euro-MED lies in its ability to transform dispersed initiatives into a common strategic direction focused on key priorities for the entire Mediterranean. Its overarching strategy and coordination between different projects, together with a portfolio of projects capable of addressing a wide range of challenges, represent its particular added value,” participants noted during consultations on the programme’s achievements. Another significant advantage highlighted was “the possibility of providing targeted funding for the implementation of innovative sustainability policies, particularly for smaller local and public authorities that often lack the capacity and/or expertise to access funding through more complex mechanisms or mainstream funds”.
The programme operates through a variety of approaches, ranging from peer learning to the exchange and testing of innovations. Potential policies, strategies and action plans are jointly analysed; pilot experiments are carried out to test specific solutions; common instruments, policies, strategies and action plans that could be implemented collectively are assessed; and successful solutions developed in one region are tested and adapted in others.
The main objectives of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme, which has a budget of €295 million for the 2021–2027 period, are to strengthen the protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and to reduce all forms of pollution. Since the launch of the programme, around 100 projects have been developed. On 1 September 2026, a new call for proposals will be launched to support sustainable tourism projects across the Mediterranean, with a particular focus on transferring knowledge and disseminating the results already achieved.
Among the many activities supported through Interreg Euro-MED are the reorganisation of transport systems and procurement processes aimed at reducing pollution; support for rural Mediterranean communities in adapting their budget planning to climate change through the use of detailed climate data; strengthening capacities for the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystems to mitigate the overall degradation of the Mediterranean marine environment; the use of artificial intelligence for irrigation; and support for small and family-owned businesses to innovate their services, reduce their environmental impact and develop new competitive and sustainable products and services. For example, through this programme, individual communities test specific solutions and share them with others, reflecting the very essence of European cooperation and solidarity. One project being implemented in Spain, Italy, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece combines science, urban planning, public health and community engagement to help cities develop plans for preparing for and responding to heatwaves. It also supports local authorities in making informed decisions through practical tools while involving local residents in designing solutions tailored to their specific circumstances. The results of these activities are shared with other cities across the Mediterranean so that they can be adapted and applied elsewhere.