Context

Aimed at enabling the EU to deliver on its Paris Agreement commitments and at implementing the Energy Union, the 'Clean Energy for All Europeans' (CE4ALL) Package has three main goals: putting energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable energies and providing a fair deal for consumers. By achieving these aims, the CE4ALL package can also reinforce EU leadership in the clean energy transition and in the fight against climate change and help non-EU countries move forward on the energy transition path. And this starts at the EU doorsteps, with the countries closest to the EU and eager for a rapid energy transition, the Mediterranean countries.

The Mediterranean region is equipped with tremendous assets to tackle the climate change challenge and be at the forefront of the energy transition: some of the best solar resources in the world (as well as excellent wind potential), low rainfall and vast areas available in the southern shore to install mirrors, qualified labor to install renewable energy power plants, and technology know-how and industrial capabilities to manufacture components locally—therefore contributing to economic growth, job creation and prosperity. Several countries in the region have already established a strong reputation as world renewable energy champions. By working together, the EU and South Mediterranean Partners are more likely to achieve rapidly and cost-effectively their goals of being leaders in the energy transition.
 

Objectives

The purpose of the round table is to contribute to the dialogue on the creation of an integrated Mediterranean energy market that the European Union is consistently promoting within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. It follows up to a technical workshop jointly organized by the European Commission and the Centre for Mediterranean Integration in Brussels in April 2018 on the "Clean Energy for All European Citizens" Package and Mediterranean energy market integration and its implications for southern Mediterranean countries.

Participants

The round table during the EUSEW Policy Conference assembled high level representatives from political and financial institutions and from industry to discuss what is needed to strengthen the Mediterranean region as a leader of the energy transition. It addressed such questions as: What policies are needed in a context of declining renewable energy costs? How to ensure a reliable and efficient power system taking into account the growing share of variable generation? What is the role of storage and other options to increase power system flexibility? What interconnections are needed to facilitate regional market integration in support of the energy transition? What is the role of energy efficiency in the energy transition and how does it complement renewable energy deployment?

Speakers include:

• Hans Van Steen, Advisor to Director General Dominique Ristori, DG Energy, European Commission
• Mustapha Bakkoury, President of Masen
• Cyril Dewaleyne representing Jorge Borrego, Deputy Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean
• Gabriel de Lastours, Associate Director, Senior Banker, Power and Energy, EBRD
• Waleed Saleh I. Alsuraih, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank
• Giulia Marchesini, Senior Partnership Specialist, Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI)

The round table was moderated by Silvia Pariente-David, Senior Advisor to the CMI.

For more information: https://eusew.eu/mediterranean-forefront-energy-transition
 

Resources

Proceedings (EN)

Event's Photos