Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, held a virtual meeting on Saturday with French Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, to strengthen cooperation ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference scheduled for June in Nice, France. The ministers discussed Egypt's active participation in the conference and explored collaborative measures to address plastic pollution, with a special focus on the Mediterranean region. The meeting included senior Egyptian officials, such as the heads of the Environmental Affairs Agency and the Waste Management Regulatory Authority. Fouad commended France's leadership in ocean protection and biodiversity conservation and called for a unified Mediterranean strategy addressing key challenges including the blue economy, biodiversity frameworks, and plastic pollution. She proposed that the conference adopt "Blue Economy and Mediterranean Sustainability" as a central theme, especially as Egypt prepares to host the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea later this year. The dialogue also covered ongoing international negotiations for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution under the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC). Fouad reaffirmed Egypt's support for a balanced and transparent agreement that respects the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, while ensuring financial support for developing countries to meet their environmental targets. "Plastic is essential in many areas, but we must reduce its harmful impact through investment in recycling technologies and by phasing out unnecessary uses," Fouad stated. She highlighted Egypt's recent reforms, including a Cabinet decision introducing extended producer responsibility and fees on single-use plastic bags, following two years of consultations with industry stakeholders. The minister also highlighted grassroots efforts such as the Nile cleanup program, which engages local fishermen and women in plastic waste recovery and recycling, creating green jobs and supporting sustainable community development. France's Pannier-Runacher welcomed Egypt's proactive approach and emphasized the urgency of reaching a global agreement to reduce plastic consumption and redesign production models. She noted that plastic alternatives and enhanced recycling are critical to reducing ocean pollution and preserving marine biodiversity. Minister Fouad has been officially invited to attend the Ocean Conference, where she will lead a high-level roundtable showcasing Egypt's achievements in nature conservation and plastic reduction. This event will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Mediterranean Action Plan, underscoring the region's ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.
