EU Energy Diplomacy Challenges

This assignment analyzes the obstacles encountered by the European Union (EU) in its pursuit of energy diplomacy. Key issues discussed include the difficulty of swift decision-making due to the EU's multi-state structure, the dependence of many member states on oil and gas, and the complexities arising from geopolitical tensions with fossil fuel producing nations. The assignment also highlights the EU's priorities in energy diplomacy, such as diversifying energy sources and routes, promoting nuclear safety, and engaging in multilateral initiatives.

qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui
opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfgh
jklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvb
nmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer
tyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopas
dfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzx
cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq
wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuio
pasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghj
Energy Law and Policy
BSM695
13-Oct-17
(Student Details: )

ENERGY LAW AND POLICY 2 | P a g e
The European Union’s (EU) diplomacy is focused upon the safeguarding of energy and of its
diversification. However, with regards to the energy diplomacy, certain key obstacles are faced
by the EU. Some of these have been covered here.
The first and foremost is that there is a lack of swift decision making or the ability of
negotiation of the single government when it comes to EU as it is a “union” where a
number of Member States are included1.
In the last decade, there has been a solidarity in the EU energy policy, which has taken
more significance due to the critical challenges faced by EU, particularly with the
Russian gas cuts to the Central and the Eastern member states, a new urgency of
combating with the climate change, along with developing new renewable sources, and
lastly, due to the low integration of the energy markets across the borders2.
The energy diplomacy cannot treat the energy security in isolation particularly for the
broader foreign policy challenges. This is particularly in context of the tensions which are
spread across the fossil fuel producing nations, particularly as these are increasing, which
shows that even the maintenance of the preset energy supplies is a major challenge3.
The key priorities of the EU are over the diversification of the routes, the sources and the
suppliers; the nuclear safety; the energy dialogues and partnership; and also the energy
architecture and the multilateral initiatives4.
1 Stephen Minas, Miriam Dalli Mep and Margot Wallström, ‘The Future of EU Climate Change Technology and
Sustainable Energy Diplomacy’ (October 2016) <https://ssrn.com/abstract=2859796> accessed 13 October 2017
2 Dixi Group, ‘Energy Diplomacy: International Models for Ukraine’ (2016)
<http://dixigroup.org/storage/files/2016-09-15/web_energy_diplomacy_dixi_2016_en-1.pdf> accessed 13 October
2017
3 Luca Bergamaschi, ‘Europe’s thorny Energy Diplomacy’ (6 August 2015)
<https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/opinion/europe-s-thorny-energy-diplomacy/> accessed 13 October 2017
4 Build up, ‘Council conclusions on Energy Diplomacy’ (21 July 2015)
<http://www.buildup.eu/en/practices/publications/council-conclusions-energy-diplomacy> accessed 13 October
2017

ENERGY LAW AND POLICY 3 | P a g e
The majority of Member States rely upon the oil and gas and the acute shortage of the
alternative energy sources in their domestic market is a case of concern. Even though
some nations are self-sufficient, the majority are not. And this poses another challenge
before the EU, for fulfilling the needs of the member states5.
5 Anastasia Lavrina, ‘EU Common Energy Policy and the main obstacles for its efficient implementation’ (22
September 2016) <http://thepoliticon.net/analytics/280-eu-common-energy-policy-and-the-main-obstacles-for-its-
efficient-implementation.html> accessed 13 October 2017

ENERGY LAW AND POLICY 4 | P a g e
Bibliography
Secondary Sources
Websites and blogs
Bergamaschi L, ‘Europe’s thorny Energy Diplomacy’ (6 August 2015)
<https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/opinion/europe-s-thorny-energy-diplomacy/>
accessed 13 October 2017
Build up, ‘Council conclusions on Energy Diplomacy’ (21 July 2015)
<http://www.buildup.eu/en/practices/publications/council-conclusions-energy-diplomacy>
accessed 13 October 2017
Dixi Group, ‘Energy Diplomacy: International Models for Ukraine’ (2016)
<http://dixigroup.org/storage/files/2016-09-15/web_energy_diplomacy_dixi_2016_en-1.pdf>
accessed 13 October 2017
Lavrina A, ‘EU Common Energy Policy and the main obstacles for its efficient implementation’
(22 September 2016) <http://thepoliticon.net/analytics/280-eu-common-energy-policy-and-the-
main-obstacles-for-its-efficient-implementation.html> accessed 13 October 2017
Minas S, Mep MD, and Wallström M, ‘The Future of EU Climate Change Technology and
Sustainable Energy Diplomacy’ (October 2016) <https://ssrn.com/abstract=2859796> accessed
13 October 2017