The aim of this project was to stimulate the Italian public debate on the EU energy policy, by proposing a set of options for the Italian Presidency of the EU (July-December 2014). The project examined the prospects for closer energy integration within the Union, in order to achieve the European goals of energy competitiveness, sustainability and security of supply. In this context, particularly relevant was the definition of proposals to strengthen the tools for the governance of the European energy policies.

North African countries are experiencing an unprecedented set of political, economic, social and demographic changes that are likely to significantly modify the energy needs in the region. To face this evolution, their governments will need to review their energy strategies, focusing on sustainability and efficiency policies, but avoiding the risk of generating transitional costs too high for their weak economies.

Turkey has moved from being an interlocutor to a key player in its neighbourhood. The aim of this study is to explore the implications this has for Turkey's regional role, for its security, commercial and energy interests, as well as for its relations with the EU. The study focused on three key regions in Turkish foreign policy - the Middle East, the Caucasus, and the European Union - and held a conference on "EU-Turkey Energy Cooperation in the Neighbourhood" in Rome, 16 September 2014.