Connecting security with sustainable development in the Eastern Mediterranean and generating pay-offs for the European Union

The rise of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in the European Union (EU) energy security breaks new ground, particularly after the 2022 war between Russia and Ukraine. With solar and wind power being the two dominant forms, and electricity interconnections throughout Europe to have come under the spotlight, the unregulated Eastern Mediterranean region is vital. It exhibits the biggest RES potential throughout Europe and hosts projects of European concern, such as the EuroAfrica and EuroAsia interconnectors. This profile builds on earlier work to contribute to two dimensions: a) theoretically, by showing that soft legalization does not only guarantee security in unregulated environments but can also be expanded to the development of RES and b) empirically, by elaborating on late advancements on RES in the region, with pay-offs for the EU energy security and sustainable development. All these at a time when traditional partners and critical energy commodities come into question.