Event | Green Energy Transition: The Imperative of Equal Partnerships for Stronger EU-Southern Neighbourhood Relations

It is our pleasure to invite you to our upcoming online discussion and cordially request your active participation.

This event continues our online event series: EU Strategic Toolbox Talks. In this series, we focus on existing and upcoming EU instruments aimed at managing critical dependencies and strengthening the EU’s sovereignty and external economic governance. These instruments form an important basis for fostering the EU’s capability to act in a global environment increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions and systemic rivalries.

Please be made aware that this session will be held under Chatham House Rule.

EU Strategic Toolbox Talk (online):

Green Energy Transition: The Imperative of Equal Partnerships for stronger EU-Southern Neighbourhood Relations

Wednesday, May 8th, 15h30 – 16h45 CEST

With:

Florian Ermacora, Head of Unit North Africa, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, EU-Commission, Brussels

N.N., Institut de Recherche en Energie Solaire et en Energies Nouvelles (IRESEN), Rabat

Enja Saethren, Head Government Relations and Support Mechanisms Unit, Scatec, Oslo

Rym Ayadi, President and Founder, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association, EMEA, Barcelona

Mohamed Baharoon, Director General, Dubai Public Policy Center, Dubai

Moderated by:

Christian Hanelt, Senior Expert Europe, Neighbourhood and the Middle East, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Berlin

Fostering equal partnerships in the green energy transition is of critical importance to the European Union, the Southern Neighbourhood in North Africa, and the Middle East. Collaborative efforts are indispensable for achieving regional resilience, ensuring future energy security, and safeguarding the environment.

For the EU, the shift towards green economies offers a platform for fostering a balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect, shared benefits, and collective progress towards climate neutrality and energy security. Expectations from the Southern Neighbourhood countries and the Gulf Region may differ with EU interests. Countries may for example seek specific and interest-based partnerships, hope for additional export revenues, or simply try to diversify their domestic economic opportunities.

The European Union has a lot to offer: a wide range of funds, plans, and directives from the Economic Investment Plan for the Mediterranean to the Global Gateway initiative.

We would like to address the following questions in our upcoming toolbox talk on the imperative of equal partnerships for stronger EU-Southern Neighbourhood relations in the green energy transition:

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• What are the EU interests and concrete policies to promote alternative energy production with / in the Southern Neighbourhood region?
• From the private sector point of view: What are practical business cases / role model projects for alternative energy production – including hydrogen?
• Go local and/or transmediterranean for the production and consumption of green energy? Experiences from Morocco?
• Energy transition experiences in Arab Gulf countries – what prospects for cooperation with the EU and Southern Neighbourhood countries?
• How can different expectations between EU, Southern Neighborhood, and Gulf countries be aligned?
• What financial frameworks are needed to boost projects for the green transition?
• How to secure skilled workforce?
• What is needed to mobilize and include local communities and to improve social conditions in the societies of the Southern Neighbourhood region?

During this online event, we will hint at our new study conducted with EMEA titled: “Strengthening EU-Southern Neighbourhood Relations: The Imperative of Equal Partnerships in the Green Energy Transition”

To attend the event, please follow this LINK for your ZOOM registration. If you would like to receive more information about the work of the Bertelsmann Stiftung and its events, please register HERE.

We are looking forward to your participation!

Christian Hanelt

Senior Expert Europe, Neighbourhood and the Middle East
Program Europe’s Future