The Association for the Sustainable Financing of Mediterranean MPAs (M2PA) was established upon the initiative of France, Monaco, Tunisia and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, joined by Morocco, Albania and four regional organizations. M2PA benefits from the financial support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), the Government of Monaco and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

The beneficiaries of the first M2PA funding were the Marine and Coastal Protected Area of the Kuriat Islands (Tunisia), the Al Hoceima National Park (Morocco) and the Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park (Albania). In addition to these initial financial supports to MPAs, M2PA aims to create an Environmental Fund dedicated to financing Mediterranean MPAs in order to enhance their long-term effectiveness.

Overall objectives of the study:

• Help refine and prioritize the Fund’s capitalization targets, based on the needs of MPAs.
• Assess the financial support needed for targeted MPAs.
• Assess the impact of funding on management and conservation, assessing the management effectiveness of MPAs.
• Build the capacity of managers to use the tools developed in the framework of this study.