Plan Bleu published in October 2023 a call for projects open to all researchers working on grants and related socio-economic and environmental issues in the Mediterranean region.
Plan Bleu is delighted to announce that we have completed the selection of proposed guidance documents on environmentally harmful subsidies. This initiative aims to shed light on the impact of subsidies harmful to our environment and explore possible solutions in the Mediterranean.
We received proposals covering a wide range of topics, including on subsidies related to fishing, energy, tourism and their implications on social protection and women’s employment, among others. Some proposals had a regional dimension, others included country-specific elements.
After a thorough evaluation, we selected the 8 most convincing proposals. Our criteria take into account methodology, political relevance and the integration of social dimensions. We believe these documents have the potential to generate meaningful change and inform policies that can benefit our environment and society. The selected articles which will be financed by Plan Bleu are:
- Fisheries subsidies and their impacts on marine ecosystems in Turkey: the past, present and future (Nazli Demirel, Pinar Ertör-Akyazı, Taner Yıldız)
- The antagonistic effects of tourism industry strategies on land use management: a comparative analysis of Toulon (France) and Kusadasi (Turkey) (Vincent Monier and Myriam Ben Saad)
- Addressing the link between fossil fuel subsidies and climate change in the Mediterranean region (Sevil Acar)
- The inclusion of women in the labor market and energy policies in Mediterranean countries: evidence from a mixed methodological approach (Stella Tsani, Chrysoula Chitou, Karine Moukaddem, Valentina Dedi)
- Fueling the future of Algeria: measuring the impact of fossil fuel subsidies on the national duality “water stress-energy consumption” (Hadjer Boulila)
- Water subsidies, desalination and sustainable resource management: political evidence from Algeria (Myriam Ben Saad, Rym Ben Saad, Mourad Kertous and Samir Baha-Eddine Maliki)
- Tax incentives and energy transition from a legal point of view: analysis of best practices adapted to the decarbonization of the Mediterranean region (Merve Ergun)
- Measuring progress and accountability in phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies: a global framework for the Mediterranean region (Jérémie Fosse and Roberta Milo)
We are pleased to see a strong presence of researchers from the southern Mediterranean, highlighting the global importance of this issue. Equally important, a strong participation of women among the contributors (13 out of a total of 18 authors/co-authors), reinforcing the value of diverse perspectives in tackling these complex challenges.
We thank the contributors for their dedication and expertise. We are grateful to have such an engaged community working together for a more sustainable future. Stay tuned for updates as we work to transform these proposals into impactful Policy Papers, which will be presented and published in 2024.
