There are three main activities:

1. Identifying strategic opportunities for the integration of circular economy principles in blue economy sectors

SwitchMed has prepared recommendations on the integration of circular economy principles in selected blue economy sectors and their mainstreaming in national and regional processes in the context of the Barcelona Convention.

These recommendations – prepared on the basis of an assessment of the state of play (existing policies, plans, publications and initiatives relevant to blue, circular and green economy models) in the Mediterranean region, have been published in the report, “A Circular Blue Economy for the Mediterranean: current practices and opportunities” This report is the result of a joint work with the Interreg MED Blue Growth Community.

2. Sharing the findings on the way forward for Blue and Circular economy in the Mediterranean

On May 10, 2022, the SwitchMed programme organized a joint conference and a site visit in the Port of Barcelona together with the Interreg MED Blue Growth Community and BLUEfasma projects. The objective was to engage relevant stakeholders on blue economy sectors, to share the recommendations formulated in the report and provide a platform for dialogues to reach consensus on a shared vision of the Blue Economy for the Mediterranean.

SwitchMed has been invited by other organizations working in Blue Economy to present the results of the report at the relevant international events, such as the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission General Assembly, the MARLICE Forum and the Blue Innovation Forum. MedWaves will continue to disseminate the findings and promote the importance of the emerging field of Circular Blue Economy to address cross-border environmental and social challenges related to the maritime sectors in different International fora, such as the MCSD Meetings, MedWaves and SwitchMed Focal Point meetings and the Barcelona COP.

3. Recognizing blue economy solutions through WeMed, the Mediterranean Sustainability Award

The Mediterranean Sustainability Award is one of the flagship initiatives of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD), conceived in the framework of the SwitchMed Regional policy component as a policy tool to encourage environmentally-friendly and social innovation among Mediterranean businesses and other stakeholders.

The first two editions took place in 2021 (focusing on southern Mediterranean countries) and 2022 (focusing on sustainable textiles). More information is available in the WeMed Award website.

Considering the importance of a sustainable blue economy to the environmental and socioeconomic objectives of the region, the 2024 edition of the award will consider recognizing accomplishments of both businesses and public authorities that contribute to the Blue Economy.