ANALYSIS OF THE ENERGY SECURITY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE RELATED POLICY FRAMEWORK

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 2050005
Author(s):  
AUGUSTIN IGNATOV

The European Union (EU) is the third largest energy market on the planet following China and USA, consuming more than 1.6 million tons of oil equivalent, this fact determining the community’s strength. Nevertheless, this strength is valid only in the case when the market is consolidated, therefore, the strategic goal of the community is to avoid splitting the EU’s market into individual member states considering both the economic and political aspects, the force of which is considerably more reduced. This paper aims to comprehensively analyze the energy market of the European Union and determine the key weaknesses which threaten the community’s security in this area. At the same time, it is presupposed to identify the key initiatives through which the European Union aspires to consolidate the energy market’s integrity in the conditions of growing international competition and changing geopolitical environment. To reach these specific goals, a subset of objectives which are expected to be achieved by applying both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies has been selected. The results reached show that the European Union’s efforts are insufficient to consolidate the energy market and deepen the integration, nevertheless, the proposed plans are promising, offering the community a favorable perspective.

Author(s):  
Arber Osman Qystri

Today, energy represents the main challenge for every country. Given the dynamic and unpredictable form of supply and demand for energy in a global and globalized context, creating long-term policies as well as regional interior is vital to ensure energy security. In this context, the European Union, - as a main global actor- throughout the reform of the energy sector, wants to be on the cutting edge in the use of new technologies and the creation of a single energy market, not only inside the twenty eight member countries. Balkan countries have an important role in this process, which takes place inside the Energy Community. In these conditions, this article aims to analyse the recent transformation on European Union energy policy and provide an analysis of the commitments undertaken by Albania as a member of the Energy Community.


Author(s):  
E F. Pushkareva, ◽  
V. A. Mityushkin

INTRODUCTION. One of the main tasks facing states in the context of growing world population is to satisfy the growing need to provide stable, cheap and environmentally safe energy. These issues can be addressed both through legal regulation and through the introduction of new technologies, including the gradual transition to renewable energy sources. Th European Union can be considered an undisputed leader in this field, which has carried out a major transformation of its internal energy market over the past two decades, resulting in a revision of traditional mechanisms of its functioning. However, the new legal order has led to new challenges, including those of an international nature, which must be addressed exclusively within the framework of international law. In this regard, this article analyzes current legal issues related to functioning of the EU energy market and their relationship with international law, including obligations arising from the WTO agreements, the UNCLOS as well as environmental treaties. In particular, special attention is given to the analysis of the main gas-related provisions of the Third Energy Package as well to the implementation of the cross-border gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2. Finally, the article covers the key points of the recently adopted Clean energy for all Europeans package.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study is based on multilateral international treaties as well as legal acts and other offi al documents adopted within the European Union. The study is also based on the teachings of domestic and foreign researchers. The authors use general scientific methods as well as special methods such as historical, systematic, formal and comparative.RESEARCH RESULTS. The study shows that the acts adopted within the European Union in the field of energy may be in conflict with certain international rules, enshrined in the WTO agreements and the UNCLOS. In addition, the authors show that the implementation of the Third Energy Package by the EU Member States should be carried out taking into account the compatibility of the adopted norms with international legal standards on environmental protection.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. Th authors conclude that despite the severity of the European legislation, it should be based on international law, which can restore the broken balance in relations with involved parties, primarily with Russia. The authors also propose to develop and adopt a number of instruments on environmental protection from damage caused by energy activities, including the prevention of transboundary air pollution over long distances and in the course of development and production of fuel and energy resources of the seabed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 375-396
Author(s):  
Adam Szafrański

The Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has been established in 2009 in the Third Liberalization Package of Energy Sector. The Agency became fully operational in 2011. After 5 years of its functioning the Author presents his opinion on general issues like legitimacy of the European Union regarding the tendency of creating new European agencies (among them ACER) and the problem of the common belief in rule of experts in the typical field of politics. Subsequently the paper handles the history of setting up the Agency and the description of its bodies and competencies in order to present the achievements of ACER within 5 years of its work. The Author concludes with positive statement: ACER meets its goals, encompassing the principle of subsidiarity and helping the Commission and National Regulatory Authorities in realizing the aim of establishing the common energy market in European Union.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 79-99
Author(s):  
Justyna Misiągiewicz

Nowadays, energy security is a growing concern in state foreignpolicy. Interdependency in the energy field is a very important dimensionof contemporary relations between states and transnational corporations.Energy security is becoming a key issue for the European Union (EU). TheUnion is one of the world’s fastest-growing energy markets and the biggestimporter of energy resources. For the foreseeable future, Europe’s energydependence will probably increase. Facing a shortage of energy, Europe isdependent on imports and the EU member states need to diversify their energysupplies. The Caspian region contains some of the largest undevelopedoil and gas reserves in the world. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, thenewly independent Caspian states became open to foreign investment. Thegrowing energy needs have given the EU a strong interest in developing tieswith energy-producing states in the Caspian region to build the necessarypipeline infrastructure. In this analysis, the pipeline infrastructure that exists orwill be built in the near future will be presented. The analysis will concentrateon routes transporting gas from the Caspian region and the most importantproblems and solutions in designing the midstream energy system in the region.The key aim of the article is to analyse the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC)infrastructure project, which will inevitably contribute to the EU’s energy securityinterest.


Author(s):  
Antoine Vandemoorteele

This article analyzes the role of the European Union (EU) and Canada in the promotion of Security Sector Reforms (SSR) activities in two regional organizations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The concept of SSR seeks to address the effective governance of security in post-conflict environment by transforming the security institutions within a country in order for them to have more efficient, legitimate and democratic role in implementing security. Recent debates within the EU have led to the adoption of an SSR concept from the Council and a new strategy from the European Commission on the SSR activities. Within the framework of the ESDP, the EU has positioned itself as a leading actor, in this domain, including in its crisis management operations. On the other hand, Canada, through its whole-of government and human security programs has also been an important actor in the promotion of SSR activities. Yet, even though several international organizations (including the United Nations, the OSCE and NATO) are effectively doing SSR activities on the ground, there does not exist a common framework within any of these organizations despite the role of the EU and Canada. As such, it is surprising to found no global common policy for SSR while this approach is precisely holistic in its foundations. Taking these elements into consideration, this paper analyzes two specific aspects : a) the absence of a common policy framework within international organizations and b) the major differences between the approaches of the OSCE and NATO in the domain of SSR and the implications for the EU and Canada’ roles.   Full extt available at: https://doi.org/10.22215/rera.v3i2.186


Author(s):  
Almas Heshmati ◽  
Shahrouz Abolhosseini

This chapter reviews relevant literature on the current state and effectiveness of developing renewable energy on energy security in general, and on energy security in the European Union (EU) in particular. The chapter elaborates on primary energy import sources, possible alternatives, and how energy security is affected by the sources of supply. It also gives an analysis of the effects of the Ukrainian crisis, the isolation of Iran on diversification sources, and on European energy security. It examines EU’s energy policy, analyses the best motivation for a new energy policy direction within Europe, and suggests alternative solutions for enhanced energy supply security. The aim is to suggest suitable solutions for energy security in Europe through energy supply diversification. Supply diversification includes alternative energy corridors for reducing dependency on Russia as a supplier and enhancing the power generated by renewable energy sources under the European Union 2020 strategy.


Author(s):  
Ana-Maria Iulia Şanta

Abstract The European Commission has the initiative to foster the sector of renewable energy and to build an Energy Union, with a common energy market at the level of the European Union, but is this only an utopic vision or is this possible to achieve? The topic of clean energy is very new and of great interest for the European Union, which is shown by the fact that the European Commission recently adopted on the 30th November 2016 the package “Clean Energy for All Europeans”, which contains proposals for the modernization of the energy market at the level of the European Union. But which are the challenges such a project is confronted with? According to the literature, such challenges are related to the process of liberalization of electricity markets. Conflicts between national interest and international actors of the energy market might occur. Due to the oligopolistic structure of the energy market, there are several barriers to the market entry. In order to answer to the research questions, case studies regarding the liberalization of the energy market will be analyzed in a comparative manner, offering an international overview. Furthermore, the legal provisions on which the common energy policy of the European Union relies, will be analyzed, as well as their economic and social impact. The package “Clean Energy for All Europeans” comprises a proposal of the revised Renewable energy Directive, energy efficiency measures and issues related to the Energy Union Governance. It contains as well proposals for the electricity market design, which will be analyzed and the present paper outlines the contribution of this proposal in building a common energy market of the European Union. What role does competition play in implementing the common energy market of the European Union? Which role do competition authorities have in this context? These are interesting aspects to be analyzed in the present paper.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  

The research represents a real attempt to show the contemporary competition and conflict that erupted between countries to control the countries that affected by The Arab Spring. Especially the oil-rich, including Libya, which has a distinguished geographical location, so this is what made France and Turkey engage in a political adventure, an economic competition, and an attempt to establish influence in Libya. The State of Libya was completely destroyed in order to control its oil, which is targeted by Western countries and their oil companies. The Turkish government tried to exploit its Islamic identity to influence the emotions of the Libyan parties and provided support for them. Then, it made an agreement with the Libyan government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj to demarcate the maritime borders, which gave it space to pressure against its opponents in the Mediterranean, after its negotiations to join the European Union failed due to France's refusal to join. The research was divided into five parts, the first dealt with contemporary Turkish-French relations, while the second one dealt with Turkey's position on the French intervention in Libya in 2011. The third one showed France's position on Turkey's accession to the European Union. The fourth one clarified the Turkish-French relations after the 2011 Libyan crisis. The fifth one included the contemporary French strategy in Libya, and finally the sixth one revolved around the impact of the Turkish-French competition on Libya. Keywords: crisis, oil, Libya, Turkey, competition, France.


2021 ◽  
Vol 562 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
Władysław Bogdan Sztyber

The article presents the impact of the level of education of employees on their income in various terms. One of them is a study based on the OECD data from 2004–2005, which shows the differentiation of incomes of employees with different levels of education on the basis of the relative differentiation between them, assuming the income level of employees with upper secondary education as 100 and referring to it respectively the income level of employees with higher education and the level of income of employees with lower secondary education. The article then presents a more elaborate study of the impact of the level of education of employees on their incomes in the European Union, included in the Report “The European Higher Education Area in 2015”. This survey shows the impact of the education level of employees on the median of their gross annual income in the European Union and in the individual Member States. The article also compares the income differentiation depending on the level of education, based on the OECD data for 2004–2005, with the results of surveys on European Union Member States in 2010 and 2013.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Espa ◽  
Kateryna Holzer

Abstract In the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the European Union (EU) has taken the lead in promoting the inclusion of a specific chapter on energy trade and investment in order to enhance energy security and promote renewable energy. Irrespective of the success of the TTIP negotiations, the EU proposal can contribute to developing multilateral rules on energy trade and investment. This is especially important given the increased number of energy disputes filed by the EU and the United States against other leading energy market players, including the BRICS. This article provides a normative analysis of the new rules proposed by the EU and reflects on potential responses of BRICS energy regulators. It argues that, while these rules are unlikely to immediately affect BRICS energy practices, they may eventually be ‘imported’ in BRICS domestic jurisdictions in order to promote renewable energy and attract investment in energy infrastructure.


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