The Union for the Mediterranean: a rescue plan for Europe an opportunity or an opportunity for the Maghreb

B/ The Stake of Natural Resources:

The Union for the Mediterranean would make out of the Maghreb a reliable natural resources supplier for Europe. Indeed, in an attempt to secure energetic resources, the European Commission has moved in the last five years to deepen energy cooperation and to put in place important new external energy partnership. In fact, «Energy security clearly forms part of the foreign policy calculus in a way that it did not ten years ago»^22(*). Accordingly, the Maghreb states represent strategic allies in terms of energetic security. So far, Maghreb states are considered among the richest states when it comes to fossil resources. For instance, Algeria and Libya represent the most important producers of oil and gas in North Africa. As far as natural resources are concerned, the Maghreb region also encompasses important Minerals' producers. In fact, Tunisia and Morocco respectively constitute the third and fifth world larger producers of phosphate which adds a further strategic reason for Europe to go through an effective partnership with Maghreb states.

The stakes involved in the collaboration between Europe and Maghreb in the field of energy are revolved around different benefits for Europe and Maghreb as well. The main goals in this energetic alliance are likely to create a stable and regulatory market framework capable to attract investment, to create a single regulatory space for trade and to enhance security of supply. In one hand, gas and oil exportations represent a real chance for Algeria and Libya to outpace their economic backwardness in comparison to other states of the region. The increase of oil prices and the gas crisis in Europe gave these two states an impetus to go forward in economic emergence. On the other hand, Europe would secure the supply of fossil energy in a way to prevent additional gas crisis in Europe such as the one that happened in January 2009 (i.e. Russian gas crisis). Furthermore, the March 2006 «Green paper on energy» argues that energy security can best be achieved through a «pan-European energy community». Accordingly, the European Commission asserts that energy security can be achieved when «EU extends its own energy market to include its neighbors within a common regulatory area with shared trade, transit and environmental rules". That is why the European commission «needs to convince non EU-consumer countries that world energy markets can for them if they were to conclude that the only route to security lay in bilateral deals.»^23(*) On this regard, the Commission developed a «Mediterranean aid program 2007-2013»^24(*) which targets to foster cooperation and specially to secure natural resources' supply. Thus, pursuant to this idea, the European Commission identifies as a priority the Euro-Maghreb collaboration.

The EU-Maghreb collaboration in the field of energy and natural resources supply extends to the field clean energy export. In fact, Europeans as well as Maghreb leaders are committed to develop new clean sources of energy. Therefore, the European Union targets the establishment of an important field of solar energy in the Sahara of the Maghreb region. Known as the solar plan, the project would make out of the region an important supplier of clean energy to Europe. This kind of sustainable development project is not revolutionary in the region. In fact, Tunisia has already established connections with Italy to supply the latter with Wind power.

All these collaboration projects are engulfed in the logic of European energy security. Indeed, the European continent is very dependent on his neighbors in terms of energy and natural resources. Hence, sometimes Europe finds itself in a critical position concerning energy supply. This could be exemplified by the crisis that witnessed Europe in winter 2009 when Russia stopped the flow of gas. Thereby, Europe reconsidered the Euro-Maghreb partnership and energy collaboration in order to make out of the Maghreb a strategic ally.

* 22

Commission of the European communities, Green Paper; A European strategy for sustainable and secure energy, COM (2006) 105, 8 March 2006, p.4.

* 23

Commission of the European communities, an external policy to serve Europe's interests, paper from the Commission SG/HR for the European Council, 2006.

* 24

European Neighborhood and partnership instrument; Regional strategy paper 2007-2013, pp.31-32.