FEMIP and the energy challenge in the Mediterranean

Rising to the energy challenge has been an imperative for FEMIP since it was established at the end of 2002 and immediately made energy a strategic focus of its operations in the Mediterranean partner countries. The development of the private sector and the regional economic integration of the Euro-Mediterranean area, which can be seen as the two pillars on which FEMIP’s remit rests, are driven not only by security of energy supplies but also, and above all, by the satisfaction of people’s basic needs in terms of optimally priced access to electricity and gas. However, over the coming decades the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries are set to face an unprecedented energy squeeze, with an energy demand growth rate four times greater than in European countries by 2025 according to a recent Blue Plan study.