Seminar
Details
The ongoing transitions in the countries of North Africa have challenged traditional European approaches to the region. EU policy makers have been attempting to deal with the changes and challenges that unfolded on the South Mediterranean. In recent years, the focus has shifted towards seeking new approaches – hitting the ‘Refresh’ button became the new paradigm in debates on EU-North Africa relations.
In order to shape optimal policy outcomes for the EU and understand the key issues driving this relationship also from the perspectives of the North African countries, the KAS Regional Program South Mediterranean brought together five researchers to identify shortcomings and prospects over the coming decade and analyse how a path to a new partnership of the respective countries with the EU could look like. Their papers will be discussed in an expert roundtable comprising the authors as well as think tank and EU representatives in an effort to outline short and long-term policy solutions able to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for both sides of the Mediterranean and to refresh approaches towards the European neighbourhood. The papers will later be published as chapters of an edited volume.
Sunday, 18 March 2018
Arrival of participants
Monday, 19 March 2018
09:00
Welcoming Remarks and Introduction
Dr. Canan Atilgan, Director, KAS Regional Program South Mediterranean
Dr. Adel Abdel Ghafar, Fellow, Brookings Doha Center
09:30
Panel 1: Standing on Shaky Ground in Libya
Moderated by Dr. Canan Atilgan
Presentation:
Dr. Arturo Varvelli, Co-Head of MENA Centre, ISPI
Discussants:
Mary Fitzgerald, Independent Researcher
Tarek Megerisi, Visiting Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations
11:00
Coffee break
11:30
Panel 2: EU-Morocco Relations: Supporting a Bulwark of Stability?
Moderated by Francesca Fabbri, Junior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre
Presentation
Intissar Fakir, Editor in Chief of Sada, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Discussants
Aboubakr Jamaï, Dean of the School of Business and International Relations at IAU College in Aix En Provence
Florence Liou, Deputy-Head of Middle East and North Africa Division, European External Action Service (EEAS)
13:00
Lunch
15:00
Panel 3: Tunisia. Can Europe Claim Success?
Moderated by Dr. Canan Atilgan
Presentation
Youssef Cherif, Deputy Director, Columbia Global Center Tunis
Discussants
Hedi Larbi, Associate at the Belfer Center's Middle East Initiative and Former Tunisian Minister of Economic Infrastructure and Sustainable Development
Camelia Oaida, European Parliament, Euromed and Middle East Unit, Delegation for Relations with Maghreb countries (DMAG)
16:30
Panel 4: Europe’s Fear of an Algerian Fallout
Moderated by Dr. Adel Abdel Ghafar
Presentation
Dr. Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck, Resident Scholar, Carnegie Middle East Center
Discussants
Dr. Robert P. Parks, Director, Centre d’Etudes Maghrebines en Algerie (CEMA)
Kirsten Jongberg, MENA Region Policy Analyst, Policy Department for External Relations, European Parliament
18:45
Aperitif with Heiner Enterich, Managing Director of Villa La Collina
Tuesday, 20 March 2018
09:00
Panel 5: EU-Egypt Relations: Balancing Economic, Political and Security Interests
Moderated by Kirsten Jongberg, MENA Region Policy Analyst, Policy Department for External Relations, European Parliament
Presentation
Dr. Adel Abdel Ghafar, Fellow, Brookings Doha Center
Discussants
Dr. Gennaro Gervasio, Senior Lecturer, Roma Tre University
Dr. Silvia Colombo, Senior Fellow and Head of MENA Program, International Affairs Institute, Rome
10:30
Coffee break
11:00
Roundtable: Unifying of Diversifying? EU’s Policy Approach towards North Africa
Moderated by Olaf Wientzek, Coordinator European Policy, KAS Berlin
12:30
Closing Remarks
