Maria Helena de Felipe Lehtonen, President of AFAEMME, participated on 9 and 10 July 2026 in the Forum MedCat Days 2026 «Regions driving the Mediterranean forward: from Pact to Impact», organised by the Government of Catalonia together with the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), and held at the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau in Barcelona.
A forum at a defining moment for the Mediterranean
Now in its seventh edition, the MedCat Days have established themselves as a key platform for dialogue bringing together institutions, networks and stakeholders to strengthen cooperation and address shared challenges across the Mediterranean region. The 2026 edition took place at a particularly significant moment: following the adoption of the Pact for the Mediterranean by the European Union in November 2025, attention is shifting from the definition of priorities towards implementation through alliances, governance instruments and concrete initiatives.
The forum was structured across a day and a half. The opening session on 9 July — the Euromed Dialogues: «Forging Tomorrow’s Mediterranean through the Pact for the Mediterranean — governance, action and partnerships» — focused on the operational dimension of the Pact: how to bring it into practice through multi-level governance mechanisms, territorial approaches and concrete projects. The afternoon session explored territorial diplomacy and the role of regional actors in European external action.
10 July: steering the direction of the Pact
The second day — «Charting the direction of the Pact for the Mediterranean: political priorities and territorial leadership» — addressed the strategic and political dimension of the Pact. It opened with a keynote address by Francisco Joaquín Gaztelu, Director of the Directorate-General for the Near East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA) at the European Commission, on the implementation of the Pact, its first Action Plan and key initiatives.
His message was clear: it is Mediterranean actors — institutions and organisations — who must bring forward proposals across the five pillars of the Pact, whether public-private or private initiatives, to be submitted to the European Commission and DG MENA, translating them into concrete actions that represent real economic and social progress for the region.
Maria Helena de Felipe took part in the round table discussions held on 10 July, which brought together regional authorities, institutional representatives and civil society organisations to debate shared priorities, multi-level governance and the practical contribution of networks and stakeholders to the implementation of the Pact.
AFAEMME’s role in the Mediterranean agenda
As President of AFAEMME — the Association of Mediterranean Chambers and Federations of Businesswomen, representing 67 associations from 22 Mediterranean countries — De Felipe Lehtonen brought to the forum the perspective of women entrepreneurs and businesswomen across the Euro-Mediterranean region, a voice that is essential to any meaningful discussion of inclusive economic development, regional cohesion and the practical implementation of the Pact’s priorities.
The MedCat Days 2026 confirmed once again that building a more competitive, resilient and integrated Mediterranean requires the active participation of all actors — regional governments, civil society, business networks and international organisations. A responsibility that AFAEMME takes very seriously.