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Mediterranean Forum Underway as Jaume Duch Discusses Regional Challenges and Opportunities
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Jaume Duch, Minister for EU and Foreign Action of the Generalitat de Catalunya, took center stage at the III Foro Económico y Social del Mediterráneo on June 17, 2026, declaring that the Mediterranean is "an increasingly complex space" that also "offers more and more opportunities." The forum, held in Valencia and organized by Prensa Ibérica, brought together ministers from Spain, Italy, and Greece to chart a new economic course for the region.
The summit comes at a critical moment. The Mediterranean accounts for roughly 10% of global GDP and handles 30% of all global maritime trade, according to El Periódico Mediterráneo. Yet the region faces rising migration pressure, climate stress, and geopolitical instability — challenges Duch said must be turned into leverage, not liabilities.
Duch Reframes the Mediterranean as an Energy Bridge
In his keynote address, Duch urged European leaders to stop seeing the Mediterranean as a border and start treating it as a bridge. "We must stop viewing the Med as a border and start viewing it as a bridge for energy and digital sovereignty," he said, according to Diario de Ibiza. His speech focused on green hydrogen pipelines linking North Africa to Central Europe via Spain.
The Mediterranean is warming 20% faster than the global average, a figure Duch cited to push for urgent green transition funding. He argued that climate urgency and economic opportunity are the same argument. The region needs to act fast — or lose its strategic edge to Atlantic and Pacific rivals.
Valencia's €45 Billion Rail Corridor Takes Center Stage
Host Carlos Mazón, President of the Generalitat Valenciana, made a direct case for the Mediterranean Rail Corridor. "The Mediterranean Corridor is not a regional whim; it is a European necessity," he said, according to La Opinión de Málaga. The corridor requires an estimated €45 billion to complete by 2030, per European Commission figures.
Panel discussions set a 2030 deadline for completing rail freight infrastructure. Port investment in Valencia, Barcelona, and Algeciras is expected to rise by 12% over the next two fiscal years, according to Información. Delegates called the corridor the backbone of European strategic autonomy — the ability for Europe to act independently from outside powers.
Critics Say the Forum Is Heavy on Vision, Light on Money
Not everyone left convinced. Conservative factions in the Spanish Senate called the closing Valencia Declaration 2026 "symbolic rather than structural," according to Diario Córdoba. The declaration is non-binding — meaning no government is legally required to act on it. Critics say past forums made similar promises with little follow-through.
Environmental groups also pushed back. Greenpeace Mediterranean warned that "opportunity" must not mean "exploitation," citing risks to marine biodiversity from offshore wind farms, according to La Opinión de Murcia. Northern African media have separately described these forums as Euro-centric, arguing the "opportunities" Duch highlighted tend to benefit European investors more than African communities.
What Comes Next for the Mediterranean Region
The forum closed with the adoption of the Valencia Declaration 2026, a roadmap for inter-regional cooperation. Spain's Minister of Science Diana Morant focused on the "knowledge economy" as a pillar of the region's future. Duch's high-profile role also reinforced Catalonia's push for direct engagement with EU institutions — a form of regional diplomacy that often bypasses Madrid, according to Diario de Mallorca.
The real test will come in the next budget cycle. Green hydrogen infrastructure, port expansion, and rail completion all need firm funding commitments — not just declarations. As LNE noted in its live coverage, the Mediterranean may offer opportunity, but turning that into reality requires more than forum consensus.
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