France to review Mediterranean Renewable Energy Community proposal
The French National Assembly will today review a resolution calling for the creation of a Mediterranean Renewable Energies Community, which would be titled “Cemer”.
The resolution calls on the government to begin consultations with civil society groups for the creation of Cemer, inviting initial members including Spain, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The proposed community would build on the infrastructure of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), an international organisation designed to promote stability in the region. Furthermore, it would complement the EU’s Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy and the commitments made by individual nations under the Paris Climate Agreement.
Expect the motion to pass, as the resolution only calls for consultations and does not mandate French involvement. Going forward, bringing in African nations will likely accelerate the development of offshore renewable energy sources. However, efforts to bring other nations into the plan are unlikely in the short-term, given tensions between the EU and Turkey in the region over energy resources. Cemer is likely to stay in the consultation phase in the medium term, with progress towards ratification a long way off.
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