Cooperation strategy among Mediterranean countries integrating energy security, decarbonization policy and industrial reshoring

Recent geopolitical events have brought out new risk dimensions regarding Eu-ropean energy security. European Member States have started to reconsider their energy strategies and solutions regarding energy supply and security, es-pecially regarding the well-known dependence on extra-European natural gas. Moving towards a less energy-dependent economy prompts significant oppor-tunities beyond the issue of energy security and supply. The new European de-carbonization targets to reduce dependence on Russian gas and fast forward the green transition pave the way to a new perspective in geostrategic Mediterrane-an cooperation. Specifically, the REpowerEU plan further increases energy pro-duction from renewable sources and energy efficiency. The measures in the REPowerEU Plan head higher energy savings, diversification of energy sup-plies, and accelerated roll-out of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels while strengthening economic growth, security, and climate action for Europe and its partners. Concerning the Mediterranean, geostrategic cooperation could com-bine economic development and renewable energy production and boost the production of green hydrogen. With this paper, we aim to (i) evaluate the energy potential of Mediterranean countries concerning renewable energy production to engage in more sustaina-ble energy strategies, policies and systems (ii) consider possible infrastructural requirements and upgrades for steering the implementation of green hydrogen as a viable, sustainable energy vector, (iii) evaluate the potential of hydrogen as an alternative source to natural gas available in the Mediterranean basin, (iv) consider the profiles of potential cooperation between Mediterranean countries to adopt a shared policy of industrial reshoring in terms of technological equip-ment and industrialization. We, therefore, intend to investigate possible syner-gies to combine energy and decarbonization policies with economic and indus-trial policies