EU-Russian Energy Relations:the Perspective Of Energy Security

For the last couples of decades we have witnessed tremendous headways in spheres of renewable revolution, energy efficiency and carbon curbing technology as well as the multilateral governance for climate change. Notwithstanding, none of those progressive trends substantially challenged the predominance of fossil fuels within domestic economy and their geostrategic implications for regional peace and stability. This partially can be explained by the fact that energy products are not merely commodities traded globally, but more are strategic assets demonstrating security, geopolitical and ecological characteristics. Due to the multifaceted peculiarity, energy and its related issues serve as the promising vantage point for international relations studies.Since June 2014 oil prices have plummeted quite dramatically from the highest around $110 barrel to just above $40 per barrel, and such plunge of energy prices stems from the combination of several factors:a).emerging markets, being the pivotal engine for global economy during the post-crisis era, gradually slide into recession, their demands for oil, therefore, have shrunk significantly; b). the booming shale gas industry in the U.S. threatens the exclusive monopoly enjoyed by exporters in the gulf; c). OPEC collectively decided not to cut down their oil production for upholding their market shares. Consequently, energy abundant countries that primarily rely on oil export revenues, including Russia, Venezuela, suffer heavily. Meanwhile, after the outburst of Ukraine crisis and the first violation of truce deal by pro-Russia rebel troops, Western allies have imposed sanctions upon Russia, and the East-West rivalry of international conflicts in the backdrop of volatile oil prices once gain attracts attention into the problematic EU-Russia energy relations.This dissertation attempts to unveil reasons behind the absence of communicative mechanism and effective institutions that might cultivate long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation between EU and Russia in energy field. In spite of divergence regarding the vision of international order, geopolitical frictions and strategic mistrust, EU-Russia energy interdependence is noticeable under certain circumstances. However, their energy interaction is remotely free from confrontations, easily blackmailed by disagreements concerning other diplomatic issues. Accordingly, the author reviews the evolution, ramifications, goals, practitioners and interconnections of European and Russian energy policies, respectively; in particular, EU energy policy incorporates three pillars, i.e. supply security, market liberalization and environmental sustainability, all of which are externalized in EU energy diplomacy to various degree. The incompatibility between prioritization moves by enforced EU institutions and policy preferences held by member states multiplies analytical units and dimensions, whereas irreconcilable contradictions among distinct national interests complicate foci of analysis.In order to reveal intrinsic and extrinsic forces which affect the dynamics of EU-Russia energy relations, this paper offers a theoretical framework in accordance with the complexity of their interrelations by re-conceptualizing energy security into a comprehensive terminology, based on the original interpretation of this concept in 2006 EU Green Paper and other relevant studies.With respect to its content, re-conceptualized energy security embodies security of physical supplies, trans-border market integration and promotion of regulatory norms, as well as emission reduction and ecological preservation.Theoretically, rational choice and institutionalism can inform us with egocentric incentives underneath the west-east division toward Russia within the Europe, and in the wake of twice enlargement, internal disagreements among member states’policy orientations have intensified, which undermined the competencies of EU institutions to broker consensus for a common EU external energy policy. Without "one voice" during negotiations with external suppliers, the EU is vulnerable to Russia’s maneuver which further exploits member states divergence and achieves economic-geopolitical dual objectives in the continent. In addition, perceptions, ideas and identities are crucial to understand deep-rooted motivations that aggravate sporadic tensions between two sides. From the perspective of ideational differences, the inconvenient truth is disclosed that energy cooperation is somehow subject to strategic calculations, political wills and manipulations by national champions. Russia sometimes is assumed with assertive diplomacy in exporting oil and gas by abusing its advantageous market position, while EU proactive diversification of sources and transit routes cannot be regarded as purely commercial decisions.As the ideological division in terms of energy governance within the EU intensified, the dominance of market liberalism has been challenged by security concerns and environmental sustainability; consequently, the overall objective of EU external energy policy is under constant re-prioritization, and the competition between sovereign autonomy and supranational intervention becomes more vocal.Analytical section will underscore the tortuous development of EU-Russia energy relations so to identify the obstacles that impede more predictable behaviors when two sides interact, on the one hand, to examine the feasibility of re-conceptualized energy security as the framework that revisits energy politics in broader sense, for instance, its mutual penetration with national security, commercial business and climate change governance. The author admits that Russia manipulates the EU’s dependence on its energy as effective foreign policy tool to sustain its regional superiority in certain areas, nevertheless, this oil weapon has been excessively politicized by its European counterparts. There are severed disillusion about multilateral energy governance regime based on shared principles as well as acute confrontations concerning regional security issues between EU and Russia, which results in the deterioration of their energy relations. Moreover, the intra-EU coherence has been severely sabotaged by two categories of split. The sluggish European integration process and the heightened sensitivity around energy supplies jeopardize the enactment of EU common energy policy, and some national governments are critical of European institutions being interfering with their domestic politics, refusing to transfer more sovereignty into supranational entities. Post-enlargement EU are more disturbed by internal inconsistency:some countries insist that market competition and openness are the sufficient mechanism to tackle supply insecurity, carbon emission and national monopolies; some advocate that EU unity towards Russian aggression is the ultimate way to guarantee stable supplies; some prefer bilateralism when their national champions deal with Russia energy giants; others equalize the legitimacy of environmental policy with that of energy security so to coordinate policy objectives for broader EU energy strategy. The diversity of both political interests and ideological propensities reflects interplay midst rational choices and identities of various actors in EU-Russia energy policymaking.