Promoting Energy Transition and the European Green Deal in the Eastern Mediterranean

ended

The European Union has set the transition from a hydrocarbon to a renewable energy economy as one of its key strategic goals in the coming years. Meanwhile, the Eastern Mediterranean has recently emerged as a conflict zone threatening the security interests of Cyprus, Greece and the European Union due to a dispute over the exploration and monetization of undersea hydrocarbon resources. The promulgation of the European Green Deal and the pandemic have rendered the discussion on the monetization of Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbons with EU financial support obsolete. Yet another important item has risen in the energy agenda of the Eastern Mediterranean. The proliferation of renewable energy in Turkey, Egypt and other Eastern Mediterranean countries has already commenced, yet the potential of the region remains largely untapped, in particular with reference to the ability of the Eastern Mediterranean to work as a supplier of renewable energy to the European market. In other words, while support for hydrocarbon energy projects in the Eastern Mediterranean may already be unlikely, given the policy choices made in Brussels, there is a very strong cooperation potential on developing renewable energy infrastructure across the Eastern Mediterranean. The GREENENERGYEASTMED project aims to revisit the energy politics and policy of the Eastern Mediterranean, further explore the role of the European Union in the transition from hydrocarbons to green energy cooperation in the regıon and educate the Turkish youth and crucial groups on the significance of this crucial initiative. Through the development of projects integrating the Eastern Mediterranean countries with the European green energy market, renewable energy can become a strong opportunity for the development of cross-regional economic relations, the promotion of the European Commission goals for a climate-neutral European Union by 2050 in Turkey, as well as the reinforcement of EU soft power in the Eastern Mediterranean.