On June 11, GMF Brussels released the first results of its new project on energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean. Following the publication of five policy reports, four of the authors, Simon Henderson, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Tullio Scovazzi, University of Milan-Bicocca, Brenda Shaffer, University of Haifa, and Sir Michael Leigh, GMF Brussels, presented their conclusions and recommendations. 

After opening remarks by Ian Lesser, executive director of GMF Brussels, Brenda Shaffer gave an overview of the current energy trends in the eastern Mediterranean in light of the regional and global natural gas trends. She presented the potential consequences of the gas discoveries for the region, concluding that although the findings might not be a game changer on the global market, for the region itself they could be very important.

Professor Tullio Scovazzi presented the state of play of the delimitation disputes in the region. These disputes could discourage international companies from bidding to participate in exploration and development of offshore gas fields. The (potential) political, commercial and technical implications of the discoveries for Israel were presented by Simon Henderson. Sir Michael Leigh concluded the briefing with a summary of policy recommendations resulting from the reports. An overview of these recommendations can be found here.

Download the five policy briefs here.