European energy security: Towards the creation of the geo-energy space

Abstract

The last changes in the energy scene had culminated in an even-growing capacity of influence of the private energy majors on the political and governmental decisions. However, the European Union has at its disposal the necessary elements-the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue and its relationship with Turkey-that could became a useful regional instrument in order to strengthen the EU's position in the International Energy Scene (IES). That is why the purpose of this paper is to propose the creation of a regional energy block, as a new way of understanding energy policies. We shall define this block as a pan-European geo-energy space. To this end, the present work is divided into three parts. Firstly, we will explain the failure of the policies founded on the Market & Institutions approach. Secondly, and within the actual context of the IES, we seek to point out which elements could support the option of a European regional strategy. Finally, in the third part, we will establish that the existence of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue and the future incorporation of Turkey are the foundations from which a hypothetical pan-European geo-energy space can be built. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.