Brussels, 12/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - Energy, especially renewable energy, is core to the relationship between the two sides of the Mediterranean and the point of departure for exploiting the potential for cooperation in their common interest. This was the main conclusion reached in the debates that took place between experts and public and private operators at the European Parliament on Thursday 11 April under the presidency of that institution, Martin Schulz. The day of debates was organised by MEDGRID, which brings together all the associations of the energy sector.
Parliament's Vice-President Isabelle Durant (Greens/EFA, Belgium), who opened the discussions, stressed that the context is a difficult one but that the need to form strong links on both sides of the Mediterranean remains, especially in the field of energy and above all renewable energy. She called for lasting relations to be established and felt that the local authorities should be actively involved.
Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, who at the last minute replaced his colleagues for energy and neighbourhood policy, and who pointed out the Commission's commitment to promoting a sustainable energy policy by 2030, said that energy is the “smallest common denominator” for the EU and for its neighbours of the southern rim. Cooperation in that field will be at the heart of all rapprochement initiatives, he said, pointing out that there was a financing problem for allowing the existing cooperation potential to be fully exploited.
Gaston Franco (EPP, France), for his part, underlined the need for determined political resolve in order to be able to develop the necessary Euro-Mediterranean relations. He added that political will needs to be backed by instruments, especially financial instruments. Stefan Schennach, who is the chairman of the energy committee at the European Parliament and a member of the Euro-Mediterranean assembly, also raised the issue of financing, as well as the cost of the energy produced and the impact that this has on consumers. André Merlin, who heads MEDGRID, further clarified these aspects, calling for the EuroMed projects in the field of energy to be classed as “common interests” in order to point out the interweaving of those interests, while underlining the weakness of existing infrastructure. A single interconnection exists linking Spain and Morocco, he asserted. He also underlined the strong complementarity between Europe and its southern neighbours, including the alternating peaks in demand: - winter in Europe, and summer for air conditioning in the south, which makes the idea of an energy community all the more attractive.
Libya's minister for electricity, Ali Mohamed Mihirig set out his country's needs in electricity - in order to depend less on fossil fuels - and in infrastructure for which Tripoli is contemplating major investment in a country which has the means and whose duty, the minister stated, is to prepare the post-oil era.
Fabrizio Barbazo, Deputy Director General for Energy at the European Commission, set out the major strands of European policy in this field, underlining the EU's interest in and expectations of the conference of Euro-Mediterranean energy ministers, in Brussels on 11 and 12 December this year. The conference is to examine the master plan in preparation as recalled by the deputy secretary general for energy within the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Sotiris Varouxakis, who spoke of the Mediterranean solar energy plan and the many prospects that the plan opens up (energy, industry, technology, employment and the environment). Lhou Lmarbouh, of Morocco, who is vice-president of the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (MPA) under the interparliamentary Union - to be differentiated from the PA-UfM under the aegis of the European Parliament - gave details of the work underway to promote cooperation between the neighbouring countries, one of the showpieces of which is the powerful solar energy plant in Ouarzazate (Mororcco). The MPA executive council is also to examine, on 3 and 4 May, the project for an “electric ring” around the Mediterranean. Tunisian Ambassador Tahar Cherif drew attention to consumers' access to the energy promised. A representative of the Algerian Ministry for Energy warned against the difficulties of energy transition in a weak financial context, saying that certainty has been shaken, market indicators are fragile and budgetary restrictions can run counter to fully exploiting common potential, and have an impact on supplies.
European policy does not sufficiently encourage renewable energies, he said. He drew up a complete picture of projects and initiatives conducted in his country in relation to Europe via three gas pipelines, which he would like to see strengthened via electricity interconnection networks. He called for the establishment of support mechanisms and for an adequate price policy. Abderrahim Hafidi of Morocco, who is responsible for the national electricity company, spoke of his country's commitment to green energy production and underlined the export potential available, for which he hopes new arrangements will be made in the regulations, saying also that support is needed. Various representatives from the sector, producers, distributors and regulators in turn set out the situation in their fields of activity linked to Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. Nearly all bore witness to the fact that energy forms a framework around which the common Euro-Mediterranean area will be built.
This is a “wager on the future”, said Pierre Vimont, the executive secretary general of the external service, while recognising that there are many difficulties to be faced. He called for focus to be placed on what is essential. In his opinion, Europe has two problems to resolve: - it must confirm its role in the specific neighbourly relations it has with the southern rim countries and, then, invent something special for its cooperation with those countries in order to “federate”, or unite, around their common interests. (FB/transl.jl)