Who We Are
A European Think Tank for Strategic Partnership in the Middle East
Euro-Mediterranean Middle East Council (EM2C)
The Euro-Mediterranean Middle East Council (EM2C) is a policy-oriented European think tank dedicated to strengthening Europe's strategic posture in the Mediterranean and the Middle East at a time of profound geopolitical disruption. Europe faces a paradox. Its security, energy resilience, technological competitiveness, and democratic cohesion are increasingly shaped by developments in the Middle East, yet Europe's policy debate often treats the region primarily through the lens of crisis management and conflict containment. EM2C was created to challenge this reflex and to reframe Europe's engagement with the Middle East in strategic, interest-based terms. At the center of this approach lies a clear conviction: Israel is not a liability for Europe, but a strategic asset. Israel's experience, capabilities, and partnerships –particularly in security, innovation, energy, and resilience– are directly relevant to Europe's own challenges. Recognizing this reality is not a matter of ideology, but of strategic clarity.
Why EM2C
The deterioration of Europe-Israel relations following the recent Middle East war has exposed a structural gap in Europe's policy ecosystem. Europe hosts world-class think tanks, and Israel produces high-level strategic analysis. Yet few institutions speak to Europe, from Europe, about Israel and the Middle East in a language that aligns with European institutions, political rhythms, and policy constraints. EM2C fills this gap. It is a European institute that produces research, policy tools, and narratives tailored specifically to European decision-makers in Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Warsaw, and beyond. Its work is grounded in European interests, European values, and European responsibilities in a changing international order. Rather than abstract analysis, EM2C focuses on policy engineering: decision-ready briefs, legislative language, sanctions-compliance tools, and concrete roadmaps for cooperation. The objective is not commentary, but impact.
Our Strategic Perspective
EM2C approaches the Middle East as part of a broader global competition between democratic and authoritarian systems. Developments involving Iran, Russia, China, and transnational extremist networks are not peripheral to Europe. They shape Europe's security, economic stability, and political cohesion. From this perspective, closer cooperation between Europe and Israel is not optional. It is central to: • Countering regional and global security threats • Diversifying Europe's energy supply and protecting critical infrastructure • Closing Europe's innovation gap in areas such as cyber, AI, health, water, and agri-technology • Defending democratic institutions against disinformation, lawfare, and ideological capture EM2C also places particular emphasis on the opportunities created by the Abraham Accords. Normalization between Israel and key Arab states opens unprecedented possibilities for cross-Mediterranean cooperation. EM2C works to ensure that Europe is not sidelined from this emerging regional architecture, but becomes an active and constructive participant.
What We Do
- Policy papers and briefs aligned with EU and national decision-making cycles
- Actionable tools for governments, parliaments, and regulators
- Strategic dialogues and Track-II engagements linking European, Israeli, and Arab stakeholders
- Media-ready analysis that renews Europe's public narrative on Israel and the Middle East
Our Role
EM2C is not a generalist think tank, and it is not an advocacy organization. It is a European strategic institute with a clear mission: to equip Europe with the ideas, tools, and partnerships it needs to act coherently in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In a time of fragmentation, EM2C builds bridges. In a time of strategic drift, it provides clarity. And in a time when Europe's alliances are being tested, EM2C works to ensure that Europe recognizes, and acts upon, the strategic value of its partnership with Israel.