Drought, water scarcity and soil loss are worsening in the Mediterranean region.

Omissions

• The claim is qualitative ('worsening') and does not cite specific figures; the supporting data is spread across several indicators (soil moisture, heatwaves, water stress, soil degradation) rather than a single 'Mediterranean worsening' index.
• The Copernicus ESOTC 2025 report was published in 2026 (after some of the earlier 2025 sources) but its data covers the 2025 calendar year, which the MEP could have known by the 2026-07-08 session.
• The EEA figure (62% of European soils degraded) covers Europe as a whole rather than the Mediterranean specifically, though Copernicus also provides a dedicated Mediterranean land-degradation assessment.

Sources

• PrimaryCopernicus Climate Change Service (ECMWF) — ESOTC 2025, Soil moistureFor Europe as a whole, 2025 saw the driest soil moisture conditions in the 33-year satellite record. Drier-than-average soil moisture conditions persisted...
• PrimaryCopernicus Climate Change Service (ECMWF) — European State of the Climate 2025The findings are released today within the European State of the Climate (ESOTC) 2025 report... record heatwaves from the Mediterranean to the Arctic while glaciers shrink and snow cover declines.
• PrimaryEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)Water scarcity poses risk to Mediterranean marine life and economy.
• PrimaryEuropean Environment Agency (EEA) — Europe's environment 2025, Soil resources62% of European soils — mostly agricultural and urban soils but also many wetlands and some forest soils — show signs of degradation.
• AcademicNature Scientific ReportsClimate change and increasing drying trends in the Mediterranean region are intensifying water scarcity, threatening both drinking water supplies and ecosystems.
• SecondaryPlan Bleu (UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre)Thirty million Mediterranean people, particularly in the South and East, are deprived of access to drinking water. Within a context of worsening shortage in the region...