EU Policies Towards East Mediterranean Sea: Energy and Security
15/11 – 6/12/2021
Press Release
The Webinar
The aim of the webinar is to enhance knowledge and promote creative reflection on the complex issues of the policies of the EU towards the Eastern Mediterranean space, with specific interest in energy and security, in light of the most recent political developments in the region and within the EU. Hence the webinar will focus on the analysis of the interests, policies and actions of the EU, its Member States and the regional non-EU members (Mediterranean and Middle Eastern States) in the Eastern Mediterranean space in relation to political, economic, security, migration and environmental fields. Particular attention will also be given to external (non-regional) actors with interests in the region (e.g. USA, Russia, China), and who their interest and presence in Eastern Mediterranean affect the EU’s energy and security policies in this region. In this perspective, three main axes will structure the webinar: (i) EU energy policy, in relation to potential new alternatives of supply routes and sources, new findings as sources of potential conflict and new partnerships with Egypt and Israel, (ii) the application of EU’s maritime policy in the Eastern Mediterranean and (iii) EU Security issues and politics, in relation dispute settlement and conflict management. The teaching staff of the webinar, selected based on their academic and research excellence in this particular field of study, and from various disciplines, such as, Law, Political Science, European Studies, Environmental Studies, Political Economy, Energy, Energy Security and Business, Regional studies, etc., will be comprised of academics from the University of Athens as well as from other Universities in Greece (University of the Aegean, University of Piraeus, University of the Peloponnese) and abroad (France, Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, UAE, UK) as well as of practitioners in the fields of energy and security (coming from the relevant industries and public administration of EU and regional states).
The webinar will be articulated in three thematic sessions: EU Integration and Eastern Mediterranean; EU Security policies towards Eastern Mediterranean space; and EU Energy policies towards Eastern Mediterranean space. After a brief introduction to the aims of the webinar, the 1st Thematic Session will include presentations on EU Governance & Integration; Common Foreign and Security Policy; Neighbourhood Policy; EU Eastern Mediterranean Policies as well as the maritime zones in Eastern Mediterranean and related provisions of the international law of the sea. The 2nd Thematic Session will focus on the EU Common Security and Defence Policy; the challenges to the EU External Borders; Hybrid threats; the challenge of migration; as well as the EU Maritime Security policies. The 3rd Thematic Session will cover the issues of EU Environmental Governance;
Energy Policies; EU Energy Security (new alternative of supply routes & new partnerships); Case study: the interplay in the Eastern Mediterranean between energy and environment policies of the EU.
Participants in the webinar will receive a Certificate of Attendance if they attend all sessions.
Academic Coordinator: Assistant Professor Ioannis Stribis, Scientific Director, Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence
