Rationale

The coronavirus has proved to be a serious threat not only to people’s health but also to economies and societies of all countries, regardless of their level of development. This crisis presents a real test to the resilience of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries, as it came at a time when they were challenged to keep their economies growing, facing increasing unemployment and scarce resources. The way out of the crisis will greatly depend on how countries in the region prioritise their actions, and on how they integrate and cooperate  with each other in key sectors.

The first CMI-FEMISE call for Policy Briefs was launched in May 2020 and more than 25 submissions were received, involving experts from the South, North, and East of the Mediterranean. The best Policy Briefs that addressed the urgent issue of the COVID-19 socio-economic effects and impact on the EU-Med region were selected for publication.

Following the success of the first round, the two institutions decided to join forces again and launch a second round. This series of Policy Briefs is intended to pave the way for more in-depth thematic analyses and recommendations.

Almost a year after the crisis erupted, many questions still need to be addressed. The COVID-19 pandemic is still causing profound changes in the world economy, as well as in political and social systems. The spread of the virus has affected policies, as well as processes that are related to issues such as trade, investment, migration, climate change and food security. Households and businesses are deeply affected and additional health, economic, social, and political consequences are to be expected. Concrete solutions and policies at the regional level are needed to tackle these new challenges.  Cooperation will be a key factor for development post-COVID in the region. Therefore, CMI and FEMISE are launching a second Call for Policy Briefs, which will hopefully contribute to the policy debate on implications and ways forward.

Objective

This series of Policy Briefs will be produced to make a contribution towards the  policymaking process by addressing the economic, social and welfare effects of COVID-19 on the EU-Med and how Mediterranean integration can be reinforced in order to overcome the crisis and trigger further transformation in the region. 

About the Contributions

The topic should be addressing the implications of COVID-19 on the Mediterranean countries (specific focus on South-Med1countries) and identifying concrete policy actions pointing to solutions and ways forward. There is a vast number of topics that could be addressed within this theme. Without excluding other themes,  some examples of topics of preference are :

• Post-Covid reforms and strategies to accelerate a clean energy future in the Mediterranean
• The potential of Social Entrepreneurship for growth and jobs post-Covid
• How to capitalize on the EU-Mediterranean-Africa cooperation axis
• Partnerships to develop better regional responses to COVID challenges
• Regional strategies for attracting FDI at time of crisis
• Skills to strengthen post-COVID and strategies to develop them
• Preparing the youth for a post-COVID era avoiding unemployment (e-learning, digital skills, etc.)
• Reducing gender inequality and unemployment among women that were hit the hardest with the COVID. 

[1] These include Algeria, Egypt, Israël, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Palestine.

More information on how to submit the policy papers and the General Guidelines for the “COVID-19 MED BRIEFS” can be found here.