Ineffective EU Energy Policy and Russia

EuropeEnergy and EnvironmentRussia and the Post-Soviet Space
Written By Doug Murray, Former Contributing Writer
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Abstract:The EU will face considerable energy policy challenges as it struggles to decrease dependency on energy imports from Russia. Such goals are difficult for the EU to achieve because it lacks unified foreign and energy policies. Smaller national governments pursue their own energy interests instead of leveraging the EU’s size as an asset.This paper explores EU energy policy and recommends new approaches for achieving more favorable EU energy security outcomes. These include a unified stance to employ the EU’s combined buying power, decoupling democratization or liberalization conditionality regarding potential supplier countries, and establishing a more aggressive stance towards Russia. The EU must also perceive itself as the customer having the final say in energy contracts. Finally, the EU must diversify its sources of energy to improve security for EU member states and their new supplier countries.

Doug Murray, Former Contributing Writer

Doug Murray is a second year M.A. in International Affairs student at George Washington University focusing his studies on international security policy. Specifically, he is studying traditional energy security concerns in Europe/Eurasia and the intersection of development and security in emerging markets, particularly in Africa. Murray graduated from Dickinson College in 2012 with a B.A. in International Business. During the past year, he has worked in both non-profit think tanks and the public sector (U.S. Department of State—Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs).

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