Global Energy Debates and the East Mediterranean

The document examines the intersection of global climate goals, EU energy security, and the emergence of the Eastern Mediterranean as a potential gas hub. It analyzes the role of natural gas as a 'bridging fuel' for the EU, the geopolitical use of energy by Russia and Iran, and the commercial and political obstacles facing gas development in Israel, Cyprus, and Egypt, particularly following the discovery of the Zohr field.

• The 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference aimed to establish a framework to keep global temperature rises below 2°C, which would require a third of oil reserves, half of gas reserves, and over 80% of coal reserves to remain unused before 2050.
• Despite EU goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, natural gas is expected to remain a critical 'bridging fuel' to replace coal, although actual EU gas demand fell by 23% between its 2010 peak and 2014.
• Russia utilizes its gas sector as a primary tool of foreign policy and 'Grand Strategy' to maintain influence over the EU, though this leverage may decrease as the EU develops the Energy Union and alternative suppliers emerge.
• The EU and Russia are engaged in significant legal disputes over energy law, including the 'Gazprom clause' (Article 11 of the Third Gas Directive), which Russia challenged at the WTO for allegedly discriminating against non-EU TSOs.
• The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) allows Iran to potentially return to international energy markets, but rapid production increases are hindered by 'snapback' sanction provisions, domestic political divisions over autarky versus interdependence, and the need for new fiscal terms for international oil companies.
• Egypt's discovery of the 'supergiant' Zohr gas field is expected to make the country self-sufficient by 2020 and potentially allow it to resume exports by 2022, though the government must ensure proceeds are invested in infrastructure and health to avoid social upheaval.
• Israeli natural gas development, specifically the Leviathan field, has been delayed by internal conflicts over tax levies, export quotas, and antitrust rulings that declared the partnership between Delek Group and Noble Energy a monopoly.
• The discovery of the Zohr field in Egypt undermined the Israeli government's national security justification for using 'article 52' to bypass antitrust restrictions on the Leviathan field, as Egypt's stability no longer appeared to depend on Israeli gas.
• Commercial viability for Eastern Mediterranean gas exports to Europe is challenged by a global LNG glut and low prices, which may remain in the $6-7 per mmBTU range through 2020.

APA

Peace Research Institute Oslo (n.d.). Global Energy Debates and the East Mediterranean. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee66dfe8-e1ca-471a-8f18-08b4c5174611/Global Energy Debates and the Eastern Mediterranean PCC Report 1-2016.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Peace Research Institute Oslo. Global Energy Debates and the East Mediterranean. n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee66dfe8-e1ca-471a-8f18-08b4c5174611/Global Energy Debates and the Eastern Mediterranean PCC Report 1-2016.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Peace Research Institute Oslo |title=Global Energy Debates and the East Mediterranean |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee66dfe8-e1ca-471a-8f18-08b4c5174611/Global Energy Debates and the Eastern Mediterranean PCC Report 1-2016.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{peaceresearchinstituteoslondglobal, author = {{Peace Research Institute Oslo}}, title = {{Global Energy Debates and the East Mediterranean}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee66dfe8-e1ca-471a-8f18-08b4c5174611/Global Energy Debates and the Eastern Mediterranean PCC Report 1-2016.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }