Ministerial Meeting of the European Union and Mediterranean Water Ministries

Background
The proposal for the establishment of a common regional water agenda in the Mediterranean aims at building consensus and defining the regional challenges, to promote coordinated policies and boost tangible solutions towards mutual actions for shared benefits.  Each Mediterranean country currently responds to water challenges through various approaches at national level to meet the increasing demand with decreasing resources. Cooperation at regional levels adds greater effectiveness to national policies and contributes to more coordinated approaches.
The UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water will aim to provide further deepened political impetus to this on-going process.  The UfM Ministerial Meeting will create an opportunity for the UfM Ministers responsible for Water to:- act together sharing views on water policy in the Mediterranean,- stress the key relevance of water in the Mediterranean region,- renew the commitment of countries on the water agenda,- provide guidance on contributions of the water agenda in responding to key objectives in the region, and- create a positive environment for the private investment and map regional funding for the water agenda through joint planning and mainstreaming.
Aim
The UfM Ministerial Meeting in Malta aims at formulating a Ministerial declaration defining a common agenda towards water security in the Mediterranean within the UfM framework, with the aim of bringing multiple benefits far beyond the water sector. Importantly, at a challenging time for the region, water can be a catalyst for understanding and closer cooperation and collaboration.