A PRIORITY Action Plan for 2008-2013 and a Ministerial Declaration on Euro-Mediterranean Energy Cooperation were adopted yesterday at a ministerial conference in Limassol.
Ministers and representatives of 37 European, African and Middle Eastern countries attended the event, which was organised jointly by the Portuguese Presidency of the EU and the Euro-Mediterranean Energy Forum.
The Priority Action Plan identifies three main priority areas. These are: ensuring the improved harmonisation of energy markets and legislation and pursuing the integration of energy markets in the Euro-Mediterranean region; promoting sustainable development in the energy sector; and developing initiatives of common interest in key areas, such as infrastructure extension, investment financing and research and development.
In terms of investment on energy infrastructure, the Euro-Med partnership will spend €3.2 billion in the next five years on infrastructure projects. Some notable projects include the Turkey-Greece-Italy gas interconnection, the Arab gas pipeline, the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, the Maghreb-Europe pipeline, the Turkey-Greece, Algeria-Spain, Algeria-Italy, Tunisia-Italy, Spain-Morocco electricity interconnections, as well as the upgrade of the electricity interconnection link between Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.
“Our long-term aim is the creation of a common Mediterranean energy area, by establishing an inter-related energy network,” said Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Antonis Michaelides addressing the conference.
“Today’s conference marks our commitment to achieve our goals, as well as highlighting the need for closer cooperation to face rising global challenges, including geopolitical, geo-economic and energy-related.
“I am confident that today’s adoption of action plan will significantly strengthen our energy relations,” Michaelides added.
“We are on the threshold of a new energy era,” commented Manuel Pinho, Portuguse Minister of Economy and Innovation, representing the EU Presidency.
“The recently-signed Lisbon Treaty has created a stronger Europe, which will bring benefits to everybody. However, Europe and the world are facing the challenges of increased demand for energy by countries such as China, the dependency on fossil fuels and the world energy crisis.”
Highlighting the need for greater energy efficiency and the promotion of renewable sources of energy, Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, said that an essential first step is a 50 per cent reduction of greenhouse emissions by 2050, compared to emissions in 2000. “Nothing less will do,” he added. Present EU objectives aim at a 30 per cent reduction by 2020.
Commissioner Piebalgs also noted that following the Bali Climate Summit the agenda has been set, in preparation for a 2009 global agreement on energy. The meeting will most probably be taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The EU and its Mediterranean partner countries have been involved in a dialogue on energy issues since the launch of the Barcelona Process in 1995. The aim is to promote regional energy integration, enhance energy security and diversify the sources and supply routes. Euro-Med Ministerial Conferences on energy have been taking place since 1998, while sub-regional dialogue and cooperation initiatives have also been established.
In the framework of this cooperation, the EU’s Regional Programme funds the Med-Enec project that deals with energy efficiency in the construction sector. Med-Enec aims to encourage energy efficiency and the use of solar energy in this sector, as well as the active cooperation between the EU and its Mediterranean partners, but also between the partners themselves.
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