The Steering Committee of the Initiative for the Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy in the Western Mediterranean (WestMED Steering Committee – WMSC) met in Rabat, Morocco on the 23 October 2019. The meeting provided the opportunity for the WMSC to evaluate the implementation of the initiative, to reflect on the outcomes of the outgoing Franco-Moroccan co-presidency, and to introduce the future Italian-Moroccan co-presidency. Aspects related to potential funding and financing instruments were discussed, as well as the activities carried out by the Assistance Mechanism and the National Hubs in the WestMED countries.

The WMSC includes national coordinators from relevant ministries from participating countries (France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), the European Commission, the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat and observers from International Organizations and financial institutions. Their role is to ensure operational coordination, guidance and necessary support to ensure the initiative’s expected results are achieved.