Strengthening Europe's Role in Global Energy Governance

Event context    

In recent years, calls for a “single European voice” in global energy relations have garnered increasing attention among policymakers in Brussels as well as EU member states. Supporters of a European “Foreign Energy Policy” claim that such a “single voice” is crucial for the EU to effectively deal with the manifold energy challenges it is confronted with in the 21st century, not the least in dealing with its main energy suppliers such as Russia. Critics of such a “single voice”, however, allege that member states will never cede sovereignty to a supranational body in such a crucial policy domain, and also frequently assert that the European Commission does not have the necessary expertise and experience to be a competent leader on external energy policy.

Thus far, however, the substantive debate on Europe’s “single voice” in global energy has remained rather superficial. Significantly, it remains preoccupied with buzzwords such as “import dependence,” implicitly assuming the latter inevitably and always means vulnerability; it also tends to ignore the key role markets play in today’s energy business, and especially the extent to which the “rules of the game” – the institutional infrastructure underlying increasingly global energy markets – determine outcomes in these markets; and it constantly alludes to the goal of combating climate change without specifying what mechanisms would actually allow linking the issues of security of supply and emissions reductions. Thus, proponents of a Europeanized external energy policy often base their assumptions on a fairly narrow interpretation of how global energy relations are evolving, and what the key challenges are that the Union and its members are confronted with in the years ahead.

Event objectives

This Transatlantic Energy Security Dialogue brought together professionals from all relevant sectors (governments, NGOs, business, the media, think tank and universities) and provide an important and timely opportunity to broaden the debate on Europe’s role in global energy governance. The dialogue sessions were also designed to complement our research program on global energy governance and serve as an important forum for both presenting our ideas and receiving feedback.

The conference was structured around three main substantive parts:

First, an analysis of Europe’s role in global energy relations. The conference discussed the history of Europe’s external energy policy and reviewed the mechanisms and instruments the Union has at its disposal to project an external energy policy. The European Union has developed a set of tools it can draw from, particularly when it comes to setting common and standardized rules on a regional basis. The conference provided an opportunity to review these mechanisms and their effectiveness, but also to identify potential gaps in the EU’s toolbox.

Second, a review of the challenges the EU and its member states are confronted with in the energy domain. The conference assessed Europe’s energy security challenges including its rising import dependency on natural gas, the need to adapt the fuel mix in light of climate change, as well as multiple issues regarding transport and transit issues related to oil and gas while also taking into account various current trends into consideration, including (i) the ongoing global financial crisis (ii) the changing nature of the natural gas business and its effects on existing contractual and market structures; and (iii) the design and impact of climate mitigation policies.

Third, an assessment of Europe’s climate change policies, with a particular focus on the EU-China relationship. During the past decade, the European Union has taken up global leadership in the field of climate change mitigation – one key example of the emerging European role in global energy governance. In this context, one of the major challenges the EU has been confronted with is China, which opposes any binding commitments to emissions reductions in the global climate change negotiations. Notwithstanding the tough stance the Chinese are taking in global climate talks, the domestic position on the climate challenge in China has shifted in interesting ways in recent years, providing some hope for more Chinese engagement in the future. The conference explored the potential role that the EU can play during this crucial phase in the evolution of China's approach to climate change.

To download the conference report, please click here.

For more information, please contact Wade Hoxtell.