The Meeting of Ministers of the Interior of the MED 9 Member States, held within the framework of the Croatian Presidency of MED 9, will take place in Rovinj on 18 and 19 May 2026.
Within the framework of the Croatian Presidency of MED 9, the Meeting of Ministers of the Interior of the MED 9 Member States will be held in Rovinj on 18 and 19 May 2026, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior dr. sc. Davor Božinović.
MED 9 is the largest regional group of European Union Member States, bringing together nine EU Member States (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus). The slogan of the Croatian Presidency of MED 9 is “For a safer, more sustainable and more resilient Mediterranean”.
Alongside European Commissioners Magnus Brunner and Dubravka Šuica, the meeting of ministers of the interior in Rovinj on 18 and 19 May will also be attended by six ministers (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and France), state secretaries (Malta and Slovenia), as well as representatives of relevant European Union agencies (Frontex, Europol, eu-LISA, the European Union Agency for Asylum, the European Union Drugs Agency) and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics (MAOC-N).
On the first day of the meeting, 18 May 2026, the ministers will discuss combating illegal migration and protecting the external border of the European Union in the context of a safer Mediterranean. The focus will be on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, strengthening cooperation with countries of origin and transit, improving the effectiveness of returns, and the further operationalisation of the Pact for the Mediterranean.
On the second day, 19 May 2026, the discussion will focus on combating drug trafficking by sea and the MED 9 response to organised crime. The ministers will discuss the security of ports and maritime routes, operational cooperation between police, customs and competent authorities, and strengthening partnerships with third countries.
The ministerial meeting will take place at the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, Smareglijeva ulica 1A, Rovinj, and media presence is scheduled on the first day of the conference as follows:
Monday, 18 May 2026:
- 13:30 - 14:00 Doorstep
- 14:00 - 15:00 Panel I: Combating illegal migration and protecting the EU external border in the context of a safer Mediterranean (photo opportunity at the beginning of the panel)
- 15:00 - Family photo
- 15:10 - 15:40 Joint press conference by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior dr. sc. Davor Božinović and European Commissioners Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, and Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for the Mediterranean
Media accreditation
Media representatives must be accredited. Therefore, the following information must be submitted no later than Friday, 15 May 2026, by 12:00:
- name of the media organisation
- full name of the journalist/cameraperson/photographer/sound engineer
- personal identification number (OIB) or
- identification document number (passport or ID card)
- contact e-mail address
The information must be sent to:
press@mup.hr.
Accreditations can be collected at the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj on 18 May 2026 from 11:00 at the registration desk from representatives of the Public Relations Service of the Ministry of the Interior.
Accredited media representatives will be required to undergo security screening of persons and equipment.
Media representatives who are not accredited will not be granted access to the ministerial conference.
Additional information
MED 9 is a group of nine European Union Member States: Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
It was established to strengthen cooperation and coordinate positions on issues of common interest, particularly in the areas of migration, protection of the EU external borders, Mediterranean security, energy, climate policies and relations with countries of the southern neighbourhood.
During 2026, Croatia holds the Presidency of the MED 9 group under the slogan “For a safer, more sustainable and more resilient Mediterranean”. MED 9 enables Member States, which account for 40% of the EU territory and 45% of its population (205 million), to jointly articulate the Mediterranean perspective within the European Union and to exert stronger influence on European policies that are particularly important for Southern Europe.
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