On the occasion of the EuroMeSCo Annual Conference “Changing Euro-Mediterranean Lenses” held in Rabat on 12-13 July 2018, over 150 researchers and practitioners from the Euro-Mediterranean region gathered in order to challenge prevailing narratives on Euro-Mediterranean relations. The following report summarizes the discussions and outcomes of the EuroMeSCo Annual Conference 2018.

The report starts with a short contribution of EuroMeSCo to the Euro-Mediterranean public debate based on the exchanges at the Annual Conference, targeting not only policy makers but also media and civil society.

The report then gives an account of the presentations and discussions that were held in the Plenary Sessions. The sessions explored on the one hand how recent developments in Europe affect the situation in the Southern shore, the EU’s capacity of projection in the Mediterranean and ultimately the Euro-Mediterranean relations and on the other hand how these developments are perceived on the southern shore of the Mediterranean and how they impact the way southern and eastern Mediterranean countries engage in Euro-Mediterranean relations.

Three “working sessions” offered an opportunity to discuss in smaller format specific angles of these issues. They were structured around presentations from researchers to be transformed into academic papers.

In addition to the thematic focus, EuroMeSCo annual conferences are traditionally a pivotal moment for the research activities of the network. Accordingly, the report also includes a reference to the sessions in which the work of the three 2017-2018 joint research groups was presented and to the kick-off sessions of the research groups to be developed in 2018-2019.