Energy in the East Med: legal perspectives, stakeholder analysis and crisis scenario simulation

On-line Workshop (Zoom platform)

The Eastern Mediterranean has become a major hotspot of energy and an important hub for geopolitical competition, driven by several offshore discoveries in the last decades. 

The workshop “Energy in the East Med: theoretical perspectives and crisis scenario simulation” will be focused on the main aspects and trends related to energy landscape and energy exploitation in the Eastern Mediterranean, intending this latter as a region of transit. 

The workshop will be structured into two days: firstly, seminars and briefings will be delivered online by expert speakers and academicians, focusing on geopolitical and international legal issues on energy dynamics in the East Med. Several case studies will be proposed (e.g. Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Egypt) in order to go in depth in the different stage of cooperation, tensions and competition among States in the region.

During the second day, an online role-play simulation will be conducted in order to apply theories, concepts and scenario analysis debated during seminars and briefings of the first day. Students will be enrolled in a simulation context in the East Med, representing a Member State in an international organization, with the aim to negotiate on energy issues according to their country position. A crisis will be introduced during the simulation, in order to evaluate a possible strategy of crisis response and recovery. The simulation’s final goal will be the composition of a document, agreed by all the Member States in the assembly. 

A background guide and detailed studies will be distributed to the students before the simulation, in order to give them the possibility to be prepared for the workshop activities. 

Educational objectives

Knowledge, skills and attitudes to be gained:

• recall and recognition of appropriate terms, ideas, procedure, theories;
• analysis, knowledge and appropriate use of sources in discussing and writing documents;
• knowledge of geopolitical phenomenon, tensions and disputes in the East Med, with a specific focus on energy transition and energy resources exploitation; 
• knowledge of the main negotiation and crisis management techniques;
• risk analysis and risk assessment of the possible tensions in the East Med region; 
• improvement of soft skills (team building, team working, public speaking).

Programme

Monday February 8, 2021 - Lectures and Training

12:30-13:45 Energy Geopolitics in the East Med - Luca Franza (IAI)

14:00-15:00 Energy Landscape in the East-Mediterranean Basin: Cooperation and Security - Luca Franza (IAI)

15:00-16:30 Maritime Delimitation and Exploitation of Hydrocarbon Resources in the East Med: Main Legal Issues - Marco Pertile (SIS)

16:30-18:00 Elements of Negotiation: The Multilateral Bargain - Alessia Chiriatti (IAI)

Tuesday February 9, 2021 - Simulation with Alessia Chiriatti (IAI)

09:00-09:30 Introduction to negotiation. Debate on Actors’ Positions 

09:30-11:00 Debate in Working Group and Drafting I

11:00-11:30 Crisis Scenario and Debate

11:30-12:30 Drafting II

12:30-13:00 Conclusion

Pre-registration

The Workshop is open to a maximum of 24 students. Pre-registration is closed.