2011 was a milestone for solar energy. The Communication “Energy Roadmap 2050,” adopted last December by the European Commission, seeks to shape the long-term European energy framework. The potential of renewable energy, and in particular solar power, is clearly recognized and underlined throughout the document in view of moving towards a low carbon economy.

Furthermore, in the margins of the Energy Council of 24 November 2011, Commissioner Günther Oettinger welcomed the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Desertec Industry Initiative and Medgrid. The two private European consortia work in the frame of the Mediterranean Solar Plan, one of the most important projects coordinated by the Union for the Mediterranean. The goal of this project is to promote the production and use of renewable energies. In particular, it aims at turning Mediterranean partner countries into producers of solar energy and then circulating the resulting electricity through the Euro-Mediterranean region.

This conference represents an opportunity to discuss the development of a Euro-Mediterranean solar energy market taking a close look at crucial issues such as sustainability and financing.