A New Momentum Since the signing of the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership.
Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership between Tunisia and the European Union on July 16, 2023, relations between both sides have experienced a significant revival characterized by additional concrete projects and a more diversified multidimensional cooperation. This agreement covers economic development, green energy transition, people-to-people relations, migration, and mobility, while also addressing common challenges. It has paved the way for enhanced collaboration in several areas, underscoring Tunisia’s strategic role as a key partner for Europe in North Africa.
Energy Transition: A Pillar of Cooperation
Tunisia and the European Union (EU) are actively collaborating on several energy projects to secure energy security by promoting renewable energy and facilitating the integration of electricity markets between North Africa and Europe. Some key initiatives and flagship projects include:
- The “ELMED” Project: This strategic initiative will interconnect the electricity grids of Tunisia and Italy via a high-voltage submarine cable. The main objective of this project is to enhance energy security and promote the integration of renewable energies between North Africa and Europe. This bidirectional interconnection, to be completed by 2028, will facilitate electricity exchanges, stabilize grids on both sides of the Mediterranean, and support energy transition by increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix.
- The “SoutH2 Corridor” Project: This project seeks to establish a dedicated 4,000 km pipeline (65% of which already existing) to transport green hydrogen produced in North Africa to demand centers in Europe, linking Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, Austria, and Germany. The goal for Europe is to import up to 4 million tons of green hydrogen per year by 2030, which amounts to more than 40% of the EU’s “REPowerEU” import target.
In January 2025, a joint declaration of intent was signed in Rome by Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, Germany, and Austria to strengthen North Africa-Europe collaboration.
These projects are a major step forward in energy cooperation between Tunisia and the EU, offering significant benefits in terms of energy security, renewable energy integration, and economic development for both regions.
Additionally, Tunisia has an enormous potential as a producer of solar energy with 3000 hours of sunshine per year, which could strengthen national production of green hydrogen under very competitive conditions and cooperation prospects.
Migration Management: A Comprehensive Approach
Migration is an issue filled with multiple complexities encompassing economic, social, political, and security dimensions. The Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership has helped establish an innovative framework to address this phenomenon.
The primary objective has been to manage the huge numbers of illegal migrants transiting through Tunisia, by offering food and shelter as much as possible with the support of NGOs, improving the surveillance technical capacities of the Tunisian security units, and facilitating return to home countries, in total respect of human dignity. Since the implementation of this agreement, irregular migrant arrivals in Europe transiting through Tunisia have considerably decreased (around 80% in 2024).
Furthermore, Tunisia has consistently highlighted the need to address the root causes that drive people to leave their homeland illegally, by advocating a comprehensive and coordinated human approach to help and protect vulnerable potential illegal migrants against human trafficking, unlawful displacement, developmental inequalities, armed conflicts, climate change, youth unemployment, etc.
In order to address Africa’s multi-faceted challenges, Tunisia favors, among other mechanisms, triangular cooperation in social and economic fields, in collaboration with international partners and donors, including the EU. Tunisia also encourages voluntary returns, supported by the EU through International Organizations to ensure dignified return and fair reintegration conditions.
In addition, Tunisia is committed to enhancing institutional capacities and regional and international partnerships to combat human trafficking and dismantle smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable populations. These networks use all means possible like spreading false and misleading allegations through media and collecting doubtful testimonies, to pursue their criminal deeds, including by targeting countries determined to respect and fulfill their national, regional and international obligations towards migrants.
Education and Academic Mobility
A crucial pillar of Tunisia-EU relationship is scientific cooperation, a sector that keeps expanding through various programs such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and Creative Europe.
Tunisia is currently the only country in the Maghreb and Africa regions associated with the EU’s Horizon Europe program, a framework for Research and Innovation. Tunisian researchers and institutions collaborate with their European counterparts in key fields, including science and technology (energy, environment, digital technologies and health), agriculture, sustainable development, and social sciences and humanities.
Tunisia is also associated with the Erasmus+ Program which supports academic mobility for Tunisian researchers and students in EU member States. For instance, between 2015 and 2020, Tunisia participated in over 7,000 mobility programs under Erasmus+.
In addition, Tunisia joined the Creative Europe in 2017, becoming the first Arab and African country to participate in this program. Since then, around twenty projects have been implemented, covering various areas, including the promotion of freedom of expression, social cohesion and diversity and support for digitalization. This program constitutes a solid tool to promote the country’s talents in the cultural field internationally.
By remaining engaged in such programs and projects, Tunisia aims at promoting a dynamic scientific and cultural partnership with the EU, thus opening numerous opportunities for Tunisian researchers, innovators and creators in various fields. The objective is to further increase this participation, ensuring that projects have a meaningful impact on the country’s development process and prosperity.
Overall, the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership has breathed new life into Tunisia-EU relations by transforming challenges into opportunities, ideas into concrete projects. By adopting a balanced approach that combines economic development, scientific cooperation, ecological transition, and migration management, Tunisia-EU relationship is set to become a success story between two partners enjoying a huge potential in all fields.
In our collective geographic space rich in opportunities for cooperation and shared prosperity, along with global challenges and common concerns, it is only through dialogue, solidarity, common but differentiated responsibility, mutual respect and friendly relations based on equal footing that we will guarantee a bright and secure future for the Mediterranean region and our young generations.In this year marking the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Association Agreement between Tunisia and EU, prospects are encouraging for stronger bonds and more diversified relations for the benefit of both sides.
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