Research
Security of energy supply and geopolitics
European energy policy
Research on European energy policy takes the Security of Supply study published in January 2004 as a starting point and builds on its main conclusions and recommendations. Given the recommendations of the Green Paper (November 2000) and given the developments in international relations since, e.g. the relations with the US, Russia and China and the developments in the main producing countries, such as the Persian/Arabian Gulf region, the outlook, context and space for EU external (energy) policies has changed. Security of energy supply is increasingly an integral part of foreign policy agenda. This poses particular challenges because EU foreign and security policy is still very much a work in progress. Moreover, the exposure to security of oil and gas supply is asymmetric across the member states. The current policy toolbox of the EU and the individual member states is incomplete and unable to deal with the new challenges, such as instability in key producing regions and competition for resources with main consumer countries. Asymmetric risks may require a much more regionalised response, which could run counter to the attempts of the Commission to develop common tools. Likewise, regional solutions could enhance regional security of supply while running counter to the attempts to create one energy market space for the 25 member states. For this project, the external dimensions of the EU oil and gas markets take precedence and the focus will be both on developments in security of supply policymaking in the EU and the developments in main producer and consumer regions.
Related Publications
Related Activities
- September 29, 2004
- CIEP-EPC Panel Discussion and EEF-OGP Dinner Debate
- January 29, 2004
- Geopolitics and the security of energy supplies
- January 27, 2004
- Lecture Coby van der Linde