EU: An environmental strategy to depollute and protect the Mediterranean

The European Commission this week proposed a long-term environmental strategy for cleaning up the Mediterranean Sea. This unique ecosystem is deteriorating as environmental pressures increase. The major oil spill that occurred during the recent conflict in Lebanon has dramatically highlighted the vulnerability of the region's environment. A key pillar of the strategy is 'Horizon 2020', an initiative to tackle the top sources of Mediterranean pollution by the year 2020 that was endorsed by leaders of Euro-Mediterranean (Euro-Med) countries at the 10th Anniversary Euro-Med Summit in Barcelona last year. The Commission is building a coalition of partners to implement the initiative.