Details

The Regional Programme Energy Security and Climate Change Middle East and North Africa of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS-REMENA) in cooperation with the Policy Center for the New South organised an expert workshop on "Securing Energy, Reshaping Decarbonisation: Reconciling Mediterranean Energy Transitions with Energy Security and Regional Stability". The event took place from October 11th to 13th, 2023 in Villa La Collina in Cadenabbia, Italy. It marked the kick-off for the Mediterranean Energy Experts Circle, bringing together and offering a platform for exchange for energy and policy experts from the wider Mediterranean region.

Through different panels and discussion rounds, the workshop addressed a wide array of challenges posed by the evolving energy landscape in the Mediterranean region, such as rising energy costs, disruptions in supply chains, and geopolitical tensions, all of which impact the progress of energy transition strategies. Given these complexities, experts pointed to the ever increasing need to advance pragmatic and realistic solutions and to use windows of opportunities for regional cooperation.

 

By exploring and comparing different energy transition pathways and strategic priorities of Mediterranean countries, the discussions highlighted the diversity of the countries in the Mediterranean region while at the same time also drawing focus on synergies, which are linked to different preconditions of countries and their related interests. Moreover, similar challenges with regards to several aspects of resilient energy transitions were discussed. Among others, updating current grid systems for higher renewable energy ratios as well as the need for increasing energy infrastructure interconnections within the Mediterranean region are seen to play a crucial role. Additionally, regulatory frameworks need to be further developed and harmonized, in order to provide a secure investment environment. Other arising challenges regarding the complex interlinkages of energy production with water resources and food production in the region as well as new dependencies linked to critical raw materials for the energy transition were also taken into account as complementary perspectives.

 

Grounding the discussions in the complex and ever moving geopolitical realities in the Mediterranean region, the workshop also explored the role of energy as a vector for cooperation or competition – both within the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region and with the EU, – expected changes in regional power balances linked to the progressing energy transition as well as lessons from existing regional cooperation models surrounding energy.

 

Through combining knowledge exchange and collaborative discussions around these issues, the workshop sought to provide actionable recommendations and approaches for governments and stakeholders to strengthen the resilience of their energy transitions and contribute to a sustainable and secure energy future for the Mediterranean region.

 

The experts concurred that the energy transition in the Mediterranean region needs to be approached as a collective endeavour, necessitating the exploration of collaborative possibilities and concerted efforts. The newly founded Mediterranean Energy Experts Circle is aiming to foster this type of regional dialogue and cross-border collaboration through its ongoing and future activities. This unified approach is particularly crucial given the overarching aim of achieving a globally interconnected energy landscape, which is poised to enhance resilience across numerous countries in the region.