“Strategic partnerships under pressure Rewiring Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in an age of global competition” was the theme of the EuroMeSCo 2026 Annual Conference, held at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Larnaca, Cyprus, from 4 to 6 June 2026.
The conference was organised by the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) in cooperation with the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Cyprus Centre, and with the financial support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
The event brought together around 70 participants from 28 countries, including representatives of think tanks, academic institutions, governments, civil society organisations and EU institutions aiming to discuss common political challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The conference took place at a moment when the global order is becoming increasingly competitive, fragmented and interconnected, with geopolitical rivalries extending into trade, connectivity, infrastructure and technology. In this context, the Euro-Mediterranean region is marked by growing interdependence, shifting partnerships, and rising security, energy and migration challenges. Against this backdrop, participants explored future scenarios for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and developed practical policy recommendations to strengthen regional governance and enhance the EU’s role in an international order profoundly shaped by conflict and geopolitical competition.
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