Detailed Description

Over the last five years Southern Europe has experienced widespread economic, political and social upheaval of almost existential proportion. Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, stricken by the Eurozone crisis and the aftershocks of the Arab Spring, face uncertain futures. This report examines the challenges confronting Southern Europe and seeks to explore the potential benefits the countries of the region could gain if they cooperated more closely and developed common policy responses in the areas of
migration, maritime security, energy and defence.

Through differing approaches, all contributors affirm the need for ‘more Europe’, but argue that further integration requires interconnected initiatives and holistic approaches. First, Southern European countries must overcome their reluctance to using the existing mechanisms of the EU, which offer significant benefits in the areas of maritime security, energy, defence and migration policy. In parallel, Northern European countries must avoid exacerbating the North-South divide and show a fuller appreciation of the wider benefits of a prosperous Southern Europe to the whole of the EU. They should facilitate processes whereby Southern European countries are able to ‘help themselves’.