Circle the Med Forum

THE

MEDITERRANEAN

FORUM

From Policy to Progress: Mediterranean for a Climate-Neutral Future

Thank you for being part of the 8th Circle the Med – The Mediterranean Forum

We look forward to welcoming you again on 19–21 May 2026 in Piraeus, Greece, as we continue our collective journey toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient Mediterranean.

Tue 19 May • Thu 21 May 2026

Circle the Med

The Mediterranean Forum 9th edition

Days

Hours

Mins

Secs

PROGRAMME

Side Events

18th May 2026, 16:00 Athens (EEST)

HERIT ADAPT Final Conference

Heritage Resilience in Action: Setting the Strategic Agenda for a Climate-Ready and Digitally Transformed Mediterranean Tourism Future

EPLO premises

Organized by

19th May 2026, 09:00 Athens (EEST)

AQUAMAN International Workshop

International Workshop on Water Scarcity Mitigation

Piraeus Sailing Club

Organized by

19th May 2026, 09:00 - 21st May 2026, 17:00 Athens (EEST)

DesirMED Adaptation Exhibition

Piraeus Sailing Club

Organized by

20th May 2026, 09:00 Athens (EEST)

3rd MED Innovation Summit

Circle The Med Day 2

Piraeus Sailing Club

Organized by

21st May 2026, 08:30 Athens (EEST)

5th ISE Community of Practice

Circle The Med Day 3

Piraeus Sailing Club

Organized by

21st May 2026, 08:30 Athens (EEST)

ISE Mission Marketplace village

Piraeus Sailing Club

Organized by

CTM 2025 Speakers

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Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou

Former President of the Hellenic Republic

Lina Annab

Minister of Tourism & Antiquities, Jordan

Francesco Corvaro

Special Envoy For Climate Change of Italy - Ministry Environment and Energy Security - Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Cooperation

Dr Susan Gardner

Director of the Ecosystems Division of the United Nations Environment Programme

Dubravka Šuica

European Commissioner for the Mediterranean (video message)

Artur Lorkowski

Director, Energy Community Secretariat

Marija Pujo Tadić

Special Advisor/Envoy for Climate Action of the Republic of Croatia and President of the International Institute for Climate Action (IICA)

Miriam Dalli

Minister for Environment, Energy and Regeneration of the Grand Harbour, Malta (video message)

Themis Christophidou

Director-General of the European Commission’s Regional and Urban Policy department

Levent Çakıroğlu

CEO and Board Member of Koç Holding A.Ş

Patricia Charlebois

Deputy Director, Marine Environment Division, International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Sandrine Kergroach

Senior Economist and policy analyst at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE)

Dr Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou

Chair of the Environment Committee of the Greek Parliament, Hellenic Parliament

Cleopatra Kitti

Founder of the Mediterranean Growth Initiative (MGI)

Alexandra Cousteau

Co-Founder and President of Oceans 2050

Dr. Alicia Bugeja

Malta’s Junior Minister for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Animal Rights

Omar Amer Youssef

Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Greece

George Papandreou

Former Prime Minister of Greece, President of Circle the Med

Haris Doukas

Mayor of Athens, Hellenic Republic

Ruben Eiras

Secretary General of Forum Oceano, Portugal

Dr. Ornela Çuçi

Former Deputy Minister of Tourism and Environment of Albania, environmental scientist, seasoned policymaker, and international climate finance expert

Martin Koehring

Ocean and Finance Specialist at the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)

Adonai Herrera - Martinez

Director, Environment and Sustainability European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

George Vernicos

Secretary General SETE, President INSETE

Vassilis Koutsoumpas

Digital Policy and AI Adviser at the Presidency of the Government, Office of the Prime Minister of Greece.

Panagiotis Sakelaropoulos

Assistant Regional Governor for Tourism Development Region of Western Greece

Dr. Charles Ellinas

CEO of e-CNHC ( E-C Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company Ltd)

Dr. Stelios Himonas

Permanent Secretary of the Shipping Deputy Ministry , Republic of Cyprus

Tamara Weingerl Požar

Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in Greece

Aleksandar Sunko

Ambassador of Croatia in Greece

Mohammed Shibi

Ambassador of Morocco to Greece

Alexandre Diebolt

Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of France to Greece

Holger Kuhle

Policy advisor for strategic knowledge partnerships at the GIZ

Dimitris Kouretas

Regional Governor of Thessaly

Dr. Sofia Avgerinou-Kolonia

Architect, Professor Emeritus at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Vice President of ICOMOS Hellenic and Honorary President of CIVVIH-ICOMOS

Theodoros Tzoumas

Mayor of Skiathos Island

Roberta Boniotti

Secretary General of MEDENER

Alexandros Angelopoulos

Managing Director of Aldemar Resorts, Vice President of the Hellenic Association of Entrepreneurs

Fokion A. Zaimis

Deputy Governor of Achaia of the Region of Western Greece,President of the CPMR Balkan and Black Sea Commission and Vice-President of the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission

Dr. Harry Tzimitras

Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo - PRIO Cyprus Centre

Giannis Roussos

President of the Cyclades Chamber of Commerce, President of INSULEUR

Evangelos Fragkakis

Mayor of Chalki

Paolo Mossone

General Director of the IMC Foundation

Beatrice Decker

Environmental Engineer, German Recycling Technologies and Waste Management Partnership e.V. (RETech)

Dr. Veronica Santinelli

Marine ecologist, Researcher at the International Marine Centre Foundation

Konstantinos Karampourniotis

Climate and circular economy expert

Dr. Panagiotis Grammelis

Director of Research at the Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute of CERTH (CERTH/CPERI)

Dr. Tudor Chiuariu

Member of Executive Board (EPLO), Former Minister of Justice, Romania

Savvas Chatzinikolaou

Marine Biologist - Ichthyologist

Gianni Chianetta

Chair - Greening the Islands Foundation

Dr. George Dikaios

Adjunct lecturer & postdoc researcher, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Senior Research Fellow, UNESCO Chair on Climate Diplomacy & Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)

Simone Bastianoni

Vice Rector, Professor of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry, University of Siena

Alexandra Kyritsaka

Head of EU Planning and Proposals Unit at JOIST Innovation Park & iED

Alexandros Touloumtzidis

Expert in Rural Development & Sustainability at JOIST Innovation Park & iED

Stefanos Kokkorikos

C-Founder & Managing Partner of CORE Group

Constantina Kottaridi

Professor at the University of Piraeus, Department of Economics

Vassilis Kikilias

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy of Greece

Dr. Manuel Manchado

Principal Researcher at IFAPA

Erika M.D. Porporato

Marine ecologist, Researcher at the International Marine Centre Foundation

Kyriakos Tsitouridis

Clean-tech Entrepreneur, Compost Systems

Dr. Eudokia Balamou

Operations Manager of Larnaca and Famagusta Districts Development Agency (Cyprus)

Chrysa Efstratiou

Research Associate in Environmental Sustainability

Vedrana Vidiček

Junior Project Leader at North-West Croatia Regional Energy and Climate Agency

Axel Rodriguez Garrote

Project & Programme Development Officer

Dimitrios Kokosioulis

Circular economy Expert, Dynamic Vision, Hellenic Republic

Ana Rita Roque

Senior Officer for International Relations at Turismo de Portugal

Alexia Spyridonidou

Climate Governance Specialist EPLO, EU Climate Pact Ambassador

Ioannis Mardikis

Environmental Sustainability Specialist Department of Technical Cooperation (EPLO)

Chris Vrettos

Financing Policy Officer at REScoop.eu

Athanasios Kontogeorgis

Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Presidency of the Government, Greece

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News Overview

Climate neutrality in the Mediterranean, our main goal

Circle the MED aims to bring together policymakers, political and business leaders, experts and key stakeholders to engage in an interactive dialogue on the urgent need to accelerate the green transition towards climate neutrality and resilience in the Mediterranean. Circle the MED provides a unique opportunity to share experiences and best practices on new governance models and the application of the European Green Deal in our societies, while exploring innovative ways to work together towards a more inclusive, sustainable and circular future for the broader Mediterranean, as well as South-East Europe and the Black Sea region.

Transforming Vision into Impact — Our Journey in Figures

20+

Events

5000+

Participants

Years

500+

Speakers

Thursday 21 May 2026

ISE Mission Marketplace village

Thursday 21 May 2026

5th ISE Community of Practice

Wednesday 20 May 2026

3rd MED Innovation Summit

Tue 19 May - Thu 21 May 2026

Circle the Med

past events

Building Mediterranean Resilience — Our Six Strategic Pillars — Foundations for a Sustainable Mediterranean

A prosperous and peaceful Mediterranean region in which people enjoy a high quality of life and where sustainable development takes place within the carrying capacity of healthy ecosystems by sharing common economic and environmental policy frameworks.

Circle the Med is about rethinking. Is about how we use our raw materials and resources to create a sustainable economy free of waste and emissions. Is about shifting from the current linear model of “take, make, waste” to an economy where we “reduce, reuse, recycle”. Is about cultural differences as well as similarities. Is about sustainable growth. Is about preservation of resources and our way of life by making it sustainable, or technically viable indefinitely.

Circle the Med represents a community promoting the “Med circular way” of thinking.