Thinking energy outside the frame? Reframing and misframing in Euro-Mediterranean energy relations: Reframing and Misframing Dynamics in Euro-Mediterranean Energy Relations

The EU's initial reaction to the Arab uprisings in the field of energy cooperation was yet another proposal for creating an integrated Euro-Mediterranean energy market, despite the moot success of previous efforts. This paper investigates the policy frame underpinning the EU's persistent focus on market-regulatory harmonization since the late 1990s and enquires into whether it has experienced any change in the post-uprising context. While the paper finds an enduring dominance of the market-liberal frame, it also identifies signs of its erosion through processes of reframing and misframing, affecting also the EU's practical engagement with the region.