The Balearic Islands took part in the Euromediterranean Summit of Regions, held at the Palau de Pedralbes in Barcelona as part of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process. Xesca Ramis Pons, Director General for Institutional Relations and Parliament Affairs, represented the archipelago at a gathering that brought together 42 Mediterranean regions and concluded with the approval of a joint Declaration aimed at strengthening the regional role in the implementation of the new Mediterranean Pact.

The Declaration highlights that the Mediterranean’s future is shared and interconnected, and stresses that real progress depends on effective cooperation among regions, cities and European institutions. It argues that regional administrations are the closest to citizens and therefore best positioned to turn European priorities into concrete actions. For this reason, it calls for a multi-level governance model that integrates the local perspective at every stage of the Pact: planning, implementation and evaluation.

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The Balearic Islands call on the EU to give regions a leading role in the new Mediterranean Pact

The document also emphasises the major challenges facing the Mediterranean —sustainability, water management, social cohesion, mobility and the energy transition— and insists that solutions must be designed from within the territories themselves.

As part of the agreement, the Balearic Islands and the other signatory regions have urged the European Commission to place local and regional authorities at the centre of the Pact’s first Action Plan; to establish a territory-based monitoring committee to ensure continuous and rigorous evaluation; and to promote a technical assistance fund for decentralised cooperation, co-financed with other international donors.

During her speech, Xesca Ramis underlined the political significance of the Declaration: “Regions understand people’s needs firsthand and know how to transform European priorities into useful projects. The Declaration approved today sets out a clear direction: a cohesive and sustainable Mediterranean requires stronger territorial cooperation and real instruments to achieve it.”

By supporting the Declaration, the Balearic Islands aim to contribute to a new phase of Euromediterranean cooperation, one in which decisions are taken with a deeper understanding of the territory and with tangible results for citizens.