The tension between the aim of creating sustainable multilateral region-building dynamics and the need to find more differentiated and flexible forms of cooperation has been ever-present in Euro-Mediterranean relations. The proliferation of different and partially overlapping initiatives in recent years – the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean – is a plain expression of this tension. The 2011 episodes of regime-change in the Arab world have once again placed the debate about differentiation in EU’s relations with Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries at the top of the Union’s foreign policy agenda. This book contributes to theoretical and practical debates on whether differentiation processes can aid or hinder policy convergence processes and region-building efforts more widely. The contributions to this collection assess the actual significance and consequences of differentiation in Euro-Mediterranean relations through sector-specific in-depth analyses, covering issue areas as varied as environmental policy, migration, foreign and defence policy, trade, energy, civil protection and democracy promotion. The particular angle and comprehensive analysis of this book will make it of great interest for both scholars and policy makers alike in a moment when Euro-Mediterranean are in need of a thorough rethink. This book was based on a special issue of Mediterranean Politics.

This book investigates the current status and future prospects of energy relationships in the Euro-Mediterranean region. By adopting a political economy perspective, this book provides insight into regional cooperation in the fields of natural gas and renewable energy. The author posits that regional energy relations have yet to be examined through a comprehensive analytical framework in order to realistically assess the potential role of energy in acting as a catalyst for greater economic and political cooperation in the region. To do so, the author provides a detailed analysis of the region’s energy relations and pertinent case studies. Chapters illustrate the political and economic drivers underpinning the region’s energy dynamics, providing the reader with a wide-ranging overview of the Euro-Mediterranean energy relations of today and tomorrow.

Over the past few years, the Eastern Mediterranean has become a major hotspot for both natural gas and geopolitical competition. Natural gas discoveries in the last decade have attracted growing interest from regional countries and beyond. However, recent escalations in tensions and outright confrontations suggest that competition goes beyond the scramble for energy. Indeed, natural gas is just one of the factors that contribute to shaping security and geopolitical dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean, which has emerged as a crucial strategic area in the broader Mediterranean and the Middle East. Moving from the analysis of these interconnected factors, this Report examines the strategy and the plethora of interests of regional and international players, as well as the interplay between cooperative and competitive dynamics in the region. What are the geopolitical, security, and energy interests of the countries involved? What are the implications on the regional security context of the moves and policies of regional and international powers?

The findings and policy recommendations presented in the book aim to contribute to making EU policies more responsive to major challenges in the region, more flexible on the multilateral and the bilateral level and more inclusive of key stakeholders.

The ways and means described in this book constitute a road map for responsible members of the international community to work together, reduce tensions, resolve differences over maritime boundaries peacefully, and reap the rewards of a safer, stabler, and more prosperous world. This volume shows that the UN and its associated treaties, courts, and other institutions have developed a body of laws, rules, and procedures guiding the way to negotiated, peaceful outcomes. Mr. Baroudi’s book also points to rapid advances of science and technology that take much of the guesswork out of boundary delineation, making this route more reliable and user-friendly than ever before. The successful use of these mechanisms would set a useful example for the resolution of boundary disputes in other regions of the world. That, in turn would restore confidence in the international rules-based system and could pave the way for the settling of some of the world’s most troubling and dangerous disputes.

This book investigates the current status and future prospects of energy relationships in the Euro-Mediterranean region. By adopting a political economy perspective, this book provides insight into regional cooperation in the fields of natural gas and renewable energy. The author posits that regional energy relations have yet to be examined through a comprehensive analytical framework in order to realistically assess the potential role of energy in acting as a catalyst for greater economic and political cooperation in the region. To do so, the author provides a detailed analysis of the region’s energy relations and pertinent case studies. Chapters illustrate the political and economic drivers underpinning the region’s energy dynamics, providing the reader with a wide-ranging overview of the Euro-Mediterranean energy relations of today and tomorrow.

This illuminating book analyses energy transitions, carbon dioxide emissions and the security of energy supply in Mediterranean countries. Unpacking the history of energy transitions, from coal to oil and natural gas, and from non-renewable to renewable energy sources, Silvana Bartoletto offers a comparative approach to the major trends in energy consumption, production, trade and security in Mediterranean countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Chapters illustrate the key similarities and differences between Mediterranean countries that have influenced energy supply and consumption patterns. Tracing economic convergence in the last century and highlighting its impact on energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, this timely book offers critical insights into the problems of energy dependency and security in areas of political turmoil, as well as crucial insights into the future of the energy crisis. It concludes with a look to the future of energy consumption in the age of climate change and the slow but critical transition to renewable sources. Enlightening and provocative, this book is key reading for scholars of political science and economics engaged with energy production and consumption, as well as those studying climate change. Its historical insights and overview of significant energy trends will also be useful for policymakers and climate scientists.