MEDENER, founded in 1997, works to promote synergy between the actors of the energy management in the Mediterranean basin. It allows the beginning of a transition in energy project development in a region where electricity consumption is growing by 5 to 7% per year, where electricity demand could triple by 2030 and that the amounts allocated to energy subsidies reach unsustainable levels for state budgets.
During the past two years, ADEME has placed his presidency under four strategic areas:
- high participation in regional dialogue through an important contribution to the development of the Mediterranean Solar Plan led by the Union for the Mediterranean; contribution which allowed better account of energy efficiency and renewable energy small power;
- strengthen Euro-Mediterranean partnerships with donors such as the European Investment Bank (EIB). Energy efficiency, with a budget allocation of the European Commission almost 90 million euros until 2015, is now listed as an investment priority in the Mediterranean EIB-FEMIP (Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnerships EIB), as evidenced by the 13th FEMIP Conference of December 2013 in Brussels at which MEDENER participated;
- the establishment of an observatory of energy management in the Mediterranean whose first work was conducted with four pilot countries: Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Energy indicators that have been developed, such as energy intensity, energy consumption requirements or the specific consumption of vehicles are shared between countries, thus ensuring monitoring of energy efficiency policies and a comparison the results and impacts, including with countries of the northern Mediterranean. A first regional report and a database were developed to illustrate the trends in energy efficiency in the Mediterranean region;
- the sharing of experiences and exchange of good practice. An annual cycle of conference on energy transition in the Mediterranean has been set up: one in Tunis in September 2013, on the prospects and challenges; the following, in Marseille, on the actors and develop synergies to accelerate energy transition. Training for building professionals were organized in Morocco and Algeria with the support of the European project Medenec II (Sustainable Construction in the Mediterranean). Finally, technical seminars have enabled the development of sustainable urban planning tools to communities, in line with the European ESC-MED project (Promoting sustainable energy in the Mediterranean).
The question of the energy transition in the Mediterranean evolves positively through the mobilization of all actors. This will continue under the Chairmanship of the ANME (Tunisia), who wishes among the new projects, launch the development of energy and economic scenarios to 2030 for the Mediterranean region, organizing the contribution of the next MEDENER COP in 2015 in Paris and expand cooperation with the actors of the entire African continent.
On 24 April, at Villa Mediterranean in Marseille, on the sidelines of the General Assembly MEDENER, the 2nd conference on the energy transition in the Mediterranean brought together in the presence of the President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the all Euro-Mediterranean public and private stakeholders and multilateral actors, including the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (SUpM), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) or the European Investment Bank (EIB) … This meeting has demonstrated the need for common visions to accelerate the energy transition, an establishment of short and medium-term objectives by taking into account the real cost of energy and the importance of promotion of technological and organizational innovation in the context of Mediterranean partnerships.
Donors confirmed their interest in such organizations as MEDENER that could help them set up investment projects by structuring the actors at regional, national and Mediterranean level.
