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Energy & transport international relations |
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Regional Cooperation
Bilateral cooperation International Organizations
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Regional cooperationEUROMED
Energy
The 5th Euro-Mediterranean Energy Ministerial Conference, Limassol, 16-17th December 2007 Together with Ministers from the EU Member states and from the Mediterranean partner countries, European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs launched the new Euro-Mediterranean energy partnership, at the 5th Euro-Mediterranean Energy Ministerial Conference that took place in Limassol. Ministers and the Commissioner endorsed the Ministerial Declaration and its 2008-2013 Priority Action Plan for the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the field of energy that gives a new impetus to the EU external energy policy in the region.
Reports on the State of play of the energy sector in the Mediterranean Partner Countries Click the pictures to enlarge
The European Union has been actively engaged with the Southern Mediterranean Partner countries, since the inception of the Barcelona Process, on an energy dialogue aimed at promoting regional energy integration, enhancing energy security and diversifying the sources and supply routes. The main instrument of cooperation has been the Euro-Med Energy Ministerial Conferences, of which three have taken place since 1998. Sub-regional energy dialogues and cooperation initiatives covering the Maghreb, Mashrek and Israel and the Palestinian Authority have been established. On 2 December 2003, in Rome, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and the European Commission (as « non-participant promoter ») signed a Protocol of Agreement for the progressive integration of the electricity markets of these three Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) into the EU electricity internal market. The objective of the Commission, over the longer term, is the signature of a Euro-Maghreb Energy Community Treaty. It is also planned to include Libya and Mauritania into the Maghreb initiative, as well as to develop progressively the energy relations with the Sub-Saharan countries and the transit of the energy resources from this region into the EU. A Declaration of Intent on the Euro-Mashrek cooperation in the field of natural gas was equally signed on 2 December 2003 in Rome by Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and the European Commission. This initiative is pursuing the creation of a Euro-Mashrek harmonised and integrated energy market through the development of sub-regional energy markets in the Mashrek region and their progressive integration into the Balkan and EU energy markets. A “Euro- Mashrek Gas Centre” in Damascus, financed by the EU and involving Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, started its activities in 2006. Finally, the Commission is promoting enhanced energy co-operation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
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