THEMediterranean economy, at the centre of numerous political initiatives, remains linked to fossil fuels. The energy transition has started, but the so-called Mena area (Middle East and North Africa) cannot do without oil and gas. Indeed, it is among the main producers and consumers of fossil fuels, with Saudi Arabia and Iran among the largest users. The attention that Europe dedicates to the Mediterranean and to integration policies evidently needs adjustments. The report "Mediterranean Economies 2024" (ME24) of the Department of Human and Social Sciences of the CNR It offers us the most reliable snapshot of the economy of one of the most strategic and troubled areas in the world.
The relevance of the Agenda for the Mediterranean and the Barcelona Declaration
What's current in theAgenda for the Mediterranean and in Barcelona Declaration 1995? They are two fundamental documents for understanding the dynamics that form the background to government initiatives and projects, but they are tarnished. The “Mediterranean” report and the context analysis focus on the 7 billion euros of investment for the 2021-2027 period of the EU, useful for bridging the structural differences between the two shores of the Mediterranean. The game ofthe energy emerges, since everything that revolves around collaboration and assistance to the countries of the Mediterranean basin is evaluated in a perspective that must become more concrete. Italy is being observed with particular attention, because it is no coincidence that it is the country with the highest consumption of natural gas. It is worth reflecting, for example, on the fact that in 2022 oil imports increased by 11,2%, exceeding 14 million barrels per day. In the same year, the entire Middle East increased exports by about 9%. This means that a large part of the European economies depends on that flow of imports, which was affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
"In short, the energy transition has begun, but oil and gas continue to be central. Europe is pushing for renewables, while the Middle East and North Africa remain strategic suppliers in the global market", he explains. John Canitano, who edited the chapter on energy transition and security in the report “Mediterranean Economies 2024”.
Long-term solutions
Italy's recent energy history is compared with that of Spain e France, which have accelerated on renewable. The scenario is global, but we cannot ignore that Iran – despite its internal energy blackouts – produces 259 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The data are objective and must serve to reposition some pieces. The integration between the Southern Mediterranean and the Euro-Mediterranean is defined as infra-regional. The heads of government (Giorgia Meloni first and foremost) believe in it, but it is clear that the EU Agenda is shaken by political instability, conflicts and economic fragility, factors that have in fact widened the economic gap between the two shores. What can we imagine? The Agenda for the Mediterranean wants to bridge the gap through partnerships and investments, aiming to mobilise up to €30 billion in private and public investments. “Although the EU initiatives are essential, I believe they are insufficient to address the deeper structural problems that have plagued the region for decades,” he says Salvatore Capasso, editor of the report. In the area, there are countries such as Egypt and Türkiye that have demonstrated the ability to adapt in recent years, but other economies such as Jordan and Lebanon have seen a sharp decline in GDP per capita, worsening economic inequalities.
30 years since the Barcelona Declaration
THEthe energy is the litmus test to avoid giving in to propaganda and realize that the dependence on traditional sources of many industrial sectors has reduced the ability of countries to develop economies that are more resilient to global shocks. Thirty years have passed since the Barcelona Declaration, with the commitment to social, political and economic cooperation between Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus and Malta, and the results are disappointing. The political physiognomy of many of those countries has changed, and rewriting that declaration today would be impossible. It takes reforms structural, stability policy has always been governance Economic Sustainability more effective if we want to seriously reduce the gap with the Euro-Mediterranean. Without substantial reforms, political stability and attention to energy, the Southern Mediterranean risks remaining stuck in economic stagnation, with heavy consequences also on the waved Italian Mattei Plan.
