This paper examines two recent events in which people on the move making their way from Libya to Europe across the Mediterranean were either abandoned to die at sea or ‘pushed back’ (Hirsi case). It argues that these two cases are not incidental or isolated but rather part of a broader situation of concern in the Mediterranean. The paper highlights this situation and also connects it to Europe’s response to migratory flows during the Arab Spring. On the basis of independent reports, case law and first-hand accounts, it attributes these tragedies to two fundamental structural deficiencies in Europe’s approach to people on the move in the Mediterranean: 1) a general lack of accountability, among the most salient of which are the lack of legal clarity for SAR (search & rescue) and disembarkation obligations as well as a lack of monitoring of what actually happens in the Mediterranean and 2) a lack of solidarity amongst European states as well as across the Mediterranean. The paper then goes on to propose recommendations to correct those cross-cutting deficiencies.

Maritime migration is not new to the Central Mediterranean. For years boat people have crossed the “blue borders” separating Europe and North Africa. But the political changes in Tunisia and Libya have dramatically affected migration dynamics. The number of people ready to undertake the risky voyage has risen, and unfortunately, so has the number of victims. The purpose of this article is to highlight the main events and problems characterizing the years 2011 and 2012. The information used emanates from a website that I have been running for the last three years. Its core is a detailed chronology of Mediterranean crossings accompanied by an examination of related issues. The aim of this article is not to repeat details but to summarize the website’s main findings. It begins by discussing arrivals, departure areas and victims; it then deals with such topics as distress at sea, Search and Rescue, disembarkation, repatriation and resettlement. The situation in Italy (including Lampedusa), Malta, Tunisia and Libya is mentioned next. The article ends with a few remarks about the involvement of the European Union and the Council of Europe.

This paper describes the energy sector in the Mediterranean and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries. It first analyses the production of energy by fossil and renewable sources and discusses the increasing demand in the area and its consequences. It describes the policy frameworks to promote renewable energy as well as fossil-fuel subsidies, which are still abundant in the MENA area. It presents some avenues for integration across the Mediterranean and finally it discusses the implications of the Arab springon energy production in the next future.