Towards a european energy transition? A review of current policy challenges and scientific debates

Abstract

This volume addresses the interactions between Germany’s energy transition and the EU energy policy framework. Neither the prospects of the proclaimed “Energy Union” nor the future of Germany’s energy transition can be fully understood without analyzing the manifold relations between the two. Germany, as an early mover in the transformation of energy systems towards renewables, may hold relevant lessons for the transformation on the EU level. The German energy transition, in turn, needs to be explored within the EU context, because the latter reacts to and influences national energy policies. Specifically, the EU Commission aims to steer Member States’ policies towards a more harmonized transition approach. Overall, there are areas of friction as well as synergetic potential between hitherto mostly national sustainability policies and the EU’s push towards harmonized policies within a common market. The overall aim of this book, then, is to identify the most critical issues involved in order to avoid the pitfalls and seize the opportunities of the interactions between national and EU level policies.