FEMISE is proud to launch its latest series of policy briefs, stemming from insightful conference papers presented at the FEMISE annual conference. These briefs are rooted in scientific research and offer actionable political recommendations to address critical challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

The objective if this new series of Policy Briefs is to provide policy makers, international organisers, researchers and stakeholders in the EU-Med region with research-based policy recommendations that: advocate a better EU-Med integration;  promote mobilization of investments towards green transition and sustainable economies; empower young people through innovation and entrepreneurship advocacy; and facilitate a better and more equal integration of youth and women, aiming to create pathways for decent employment.

These Policy Briefs aspire to drive impactful dialogue and action across the EU-Med region.

Context

Youth unemployment remains a persistent and structural challenge across Mediterranean countries, despite periods of economic reform and growth. While integration into global value chains, digitalisation, and green investment are often presented as solutions, their social and employment outcomes—particularly for young people—remain uneven.

This policy brief examines how the Euro-Mediterranean partnership can better harness digital skills, entrepreneurship, and green jobs to empower youth and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

By focusing on five Mediterranean countries—Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey—the brief sheds light on the structural barriers limiting youth employment and highlights the long-term reforms needed to unlock sustainable and inclusive labour market outcomes.

Summary

This policy brief analyses how countries in the Euro-Mediterranean region can improve youth employment outcomes by better aligning education systems, innovation policies, and labour market needs. Focusing on Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey, it highlights persistent structural challenges—such as skills mismatches, limited absorptive capacity, and weak institutional coordination—that constrain the employment benefits of digitalisation, green transition, and global economic integration. The findings show that economic transformation alone is not sufficient to generate decent jobs for young people unless accompanied by targeted investments in human capital, governance reforms, and inclusive labour market policies. The brief offers evidence-based recommendations to help policymakers ensure that growth translates into sustainable and equitable employment opportunities across the region.

Read the full Policy Brief no.9 here

This Policy Brief is part of the FEMISE Policy Brief Series and is based on the FEMISE Conference Paper no.18. entitled: «Empowering Mediterranean Youth For Knowledge-Driven Growth: Unlocking The Potential Of The Euromed Partnership To achieve The SDGs» with the same authors.

The opinions and contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of FEMISE, IEMED, ERF or the AECID