Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - Region: Eastern Europe, grade: 9 out of 10, Maastricht University (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), course: Module D - Traid and Aid - European Studies, Specialisation in International Politics of the European Union, language: English, abstract: Energy security is a topic with growing importance on the global political agendas. Within the European Union (EU) the consideration of supply security is of particular significance as the member states depend on outside sources, meaning principally oil and gas, to satisfy their need of energy. The EU-27 was dependent on oil imports on 82.6% and on gas imports on 60.3% in 2007. Own resources are not sufficient and in the present days the EU merely covers 46.9% of the energy consumption by its own means. When the current trends proceed the EU will be dependent on 90% for oil, 70% for gas and 100% for coal in years 2030-40. Therefore, the role of producer countries becomes increasingly important, especially regarding Russia as it is the biggest importer to the EU in crude oil, gas and hard coal. The supply dependence on Russia could have severe consequences for the EU as gas disruptions leading to supply crises in several member states like in 2006 and 2009 had already shown. But also the Russian Federation is dependent because the EU is one of the most important consumers of its gas and oil exports. Russia’s economy is reliant on oil and gas production; in 2007 the energy sector generated about 64% of its exports revenues. Accordingly, Russia also has to deal with the problem of energy security, but in the perspective that it aims at securing demand and the purchase of its gas and oil resources, especially by the EU. As both parties depend on each other in their energy security there is a case of interdependence in the EU-Russian energy relationship. When examining this relation of interdependence it is interesting not just to regard the present state of affairs but also the trends and future development and how the EU and Russia deal with that. For the analysis the notions of sensitivity and vulnerability are used. The guiding research question of this paper is therefore: What is the degree of sensitivity and vulnerability for the EU and Russia regarding their relation of interdependence in energy security? It is hypothesized that the Russian Federation is more vulnerable, especially on the subject of its political strategy. The concept of interdependence by Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye provides the theoretical basis for this paper. In order to conclude this paper, the degrees of sensitivity and vulnerability of the actors are evaluated and the hypothesis is proven right or wrong.

Nataliya Esakova performs an analysis of the interdependencies and the nature of cooperation between energy producing, consuming and transit countries focusing on the gas sector. For the analysis the theoretical framework of the interdependence theory by Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye and the international regime theory are applied to the recent developments within the gas relationship between the European Union and Russia in the last decade. The objective of the analysis is to determine, whether a fundamental regime change in terms of international regime theory is taking place, and, if so, which regime change explanation model in terms of interdependence theory is likely to apply.

Due to the exploitation of international reservoirs, natural energy sources have become rare, disputed among States and therefore strategic. The reliance on these resources is linked to energy security and dependence in both terms of energy imports or exports. Furthermore, the access and reallocation of energy flows entail an alteration of the balance of power among States as well as the raise of national energy security strategies and debates. The aim of this volume is to analyze the evolution of energy relations between the European Union and the Russian Federation from a state of pure Dependence to the establishment of a balanced Interdependence, underling also the challenges facing the EU in terms of dependence and diversifications in the framework or the EU-Russian energy cooperation.

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2016 im Fachbereich Politik - Thema: Europäische Union, , Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: The following term paper aims to assess the current state of interdependencies as well as future developments in the gas relations between the European Union and Russia. The theoretical approach therefor is framed by Keohane and Nye’s Theory of Interdependence. It is used to analyze (a) the prevailing gas supply situation of the European Union, (b) the significance of the European gas demand for the Russian Federation, (c) diversification opportunities for both parties and (d) the progress and effects of a common EU approach in gas negotiations with Russia. It becomes evident that the EU’s Energy security is very reliant on consistent gas supplies. Yet, Russia can only slightly exploit this sensitivity dependency as a source of geopolitical power vis-à-vis the EU, because its own economy depends on Europe’s investments and the revenue from gas exports to EU countries. The analysis of the diversification potentials reveals that the mutual dependence will remain strong in the near future. In the medium term the EU has to expand its range of suppliers by investing in LNG infrastructure and the Southern Corridor. In contrast, Russia tries to get hold of the Union’s diversification plans, as exemplified by the competition between the Turkish Stream and TANAP pipeline projects. A common European approach towards gas negotiations with Russia would mainly be beneficial for the bargaining position of the Union’s eastern members, which are highly sensitive to Russian gas deliveries. Russia currently takes advantage of this by negotiating favorable long term contracts. However, contradictory positions between East and West complicate the realization of a joint European negotiation process. Viable and useful transitional measures would include regional trade associations and a revision of the current information exchange mechanism, providing greater competencies for the European Commission to gain insight in Member states’ bilateral negotiations with Russia.

This book presents the main conclusions reached by the academic project "Geopolitics of Gas and the Future of the Euro-Russian Relations (Geo4GER)." This project is being developed at IPRI -- Portuguese Institute of International Relations, NOVA University, an academic research institute dedicated to advanced studies in Political Science and International Relations, of NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal. Energy security is a key issue on the international political agenda, a prerequisite for political stability and economic development and an indivisible part of a state's overall security. For Europe, the high-energy insufficiency is a major challenge, given its dependence on external sources, especially from Russia, the lack of diversification of energy sources, and the poor branch of its transmission network. For Russia, energy has been a geopolitical factor of power and a potential strategic vector to its re-emergence as a great power in the international system. However, in terms of energy, Russia also faces some long-term challenges, given the fall of its production and the low competitiveness of its gas, which is currently saved from the market where competition can hardly enter. Given this scenario, and also the increasingly important role in the political and strategic discussion of energy issues between Europe and Russia, it becomes relevant to diagnose the past and the present to forecast the medium and long term future (2030), taking into account the expected changes in the geopolitical and energetic environment, and the characteristics and dynamics of European-Russian relationship, including its energy interdependence and the energy policies and strategies outlined by Europe and Russia.

This book charts the EU’s response to the challenge of energy security with a focus on the foreign policy dimensions and examines how the EU’s approach to energy security is played out in different producer countries and regions.

The publication comprises 15 contributions by leading academics, lawyers and policy specialists offering a deep analysis of the relationship between Russia and the EU in the energy sphere. The political aspects of the EU-Russia relations are discussed by some of the leading practitioners and academics in the field. With Russia being the single most important energy supplier for the European Union, the security of supply issue inevitably hinges to a large extent on the complex relationship between Brussels and the Kremlin. The events following the most recent disruption of gas supply from Ukraine in 2009 is evidence of the fragile political interrelation between the EU and Russia and it is not surprising that speculation about the future of Russian energy supplies to the EU keeps growing. The publication is divided into 3 sections with various chapters: Section I : Political Energy Relations Between EU and Russia; Section II: Legal Aspects of EU - Russia Energy Relations; Section III: Changing the Rules for the EU Natural Gas Markets - From State to Market and Plan to Contract.