The implementation of the EU’s post-Arab Spring policy guidelines requires sound advice from think tanks, research institutes and foreign policy experts. So far, most policy recommendations have come from European opinion-makers, who often lack knowledge on the political, social and economic dynamics of Southern Mediterranean countries. It is more difficult for Southern voices to reach out to European institutions with specific demands on how Europe should accompany the processes of democratic reform.

The workshop, organised jointly by the IEMed, FRIDE, Real Instituto Elcano and EuroMeSCo, aimed at discussing the role of think tanks in policy formulation in light of recent regional transformations and provide policy recommendations to EU policy-makers. Advice came mostly from Southern Mediterranean experts, who are best suited to interpret the needs of their own countries and populations and how EU policies should respond to them.