Energy in the European Green Deal: impacts and recommendations for MENA countries

Abstract The European Union (EU) presented its new and ambitious programme at the end of 2019—the European Green Deal (EGD), which should align its economy to reach the goal of climate neutrality in 2050. A vital part of the deal aims for the energy sector within the leitmotif of supplying clean, affordable and secure energy. Because energy-related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions accounted in 2020 for three-quarters of all GHG emissions of the EU, the most important pillar for the EGD to succeed is the energy sector. The deal does not function within a vacuum as it will impact other countries, including those with vast conventional energy resources and close ties to the EU, like nations from the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This article assesses the deal’s impacts on MENA countries and includes recommendations concerning various aspects of low-carbon transition that could be applied. The EGD programme will be used as a reference scenario for those recommendations because of its universal character.