PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday 20th of May 2003
For Immediate Release

On Wednesday (May 21st), Energy Ministers of the EuroMediterranean partnership will meet to adopt a declaration launching the Second Regional Energy Plan (2003-2006). Energy is one of the six priority sectors of the EuroMediterranean Partnership. The last Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Energy Ministers in Brussels (1998) agreed that security of supply, competitiveness and environmental protection are objectives on which the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership in the field of Energy should be based.

Since then though EuroMediterranean Environmental Ministers have adopted a framework strategy for environmental integration in the EuroMediterranean partnership (Athens Ministerial 10 July 2002) which was endorsed by the following EuroMed Foreign Ministers conference. The first test bed for this environmental integration strategy will be tomorrow’s 3rd EuroMediterranean ministerial conference on energy, where EuroMed Energy Ministers are supposed to demonstrate how they will integrate environmental concerns in EuroMed energy policies and planning for coming years.

However, the word on the street is that Energy Ministers will cough up more of the same i.e. focussing on security of supply, competitiveness and an integrated electricity market, while promoting massive Mediterranean transmission infrastructure projects for electricity, gas and oil.
Where, might one ask is their commitment to environmental integration in the regional energy plan?

Mediterranean countries have a unique opportunity to ‘leapfrog’ this unsustainable energy model and invest instead in a variety of commercially available technologies that are cleaner and provide better quality energy services.

The Mediterranean Network of Friends of the Earth National offices – FoE MedNet believes that a more sustainable approach can be applied to the EuroMediterranean Energy Strategy. The regional strategy should encourage energy efficiency, by giving a high priority to the implementation of demand-side energy management measures. The Mediterranean is an ideal region for strong investment in renewable energies, prioritising of all forms of renewable energies would represent a giant leap towards improved environmental conditions in the region. Finally FoE MedNet demands that any infrastructure developments in the energy sector be subject to thorough and transparent environmental and sustainability assessments.

For more information, contact:
Mr Eugene Clancy, FoE MedNet coordinator, mednet@foeeurope.org Tel 34 965 652 932

Friends of the Earth is the largest grassroots environmental network in the world 
campaigning to protect the environment and to create sustainable societies.
Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) unites more than 30 national member groups with thousands of local groups.

Home