Energy Union from the EaP countries point of view – Executive Summary
Eastern Partnership countries have different level and prospects of energy relations with the EU. However, since energy issues are very high priority on the national policy agenda for all parties, Energy Union strategy, being currently under development in the EU, will significantly impact both internal market and regional energy relations.
Energy security, solidarity and trust are very important and welcomed topics in each of the EU Member States as well as EaP country. No one is totally independent from external suppliers, needs security and reliability of transit routes and support in emergency case.
Energy Union should ensure more transparency for gas imports, support to the realization of the Southern energy corridor from Caspian region, increased access to LNG supplies and enhanced cooperation between the neighbours in emergency cases. All these matters for EaP countries as well, however, none of them is being involved into respective dialog so far. Some EU Member States like Germany through support to Nord Stream II are moving rather from than to more solidarity and trust within the Union itself. With rather moderate attention to Ukraine, the EU shows little interest to supply agreements of Moldova (Energy Community member), not speaking about Belarus or Caucasus countries. Recent gas dispute between Belarus and Russia, 2019 deadline for Ukrainian supply and transit contracts with potential challenges for Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria should provoke more interest from the EU already in 2017.
Not only Ukraine, but also other EaP countries would be interested in cooperation within early warning mechanisms, emphasized in the Energy Union strategy, given that they will be applied on multilateral basis. Especially direct EU neighbours from EaP region need to be involved into discussions and cooperation in order to enhance energy security through voluntary solidarity agreements on gas supply in emergency cases.
Among EaP countries, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are the most interested parties to become a part of the European integrated energy market as a natural neighbours. With except of Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are implementing European energy acquis into national legislation, enjoying support of the Energy Community and technical assistance from the EU. Although not on a similar scale, Belarus is also interested in wider energy cooperation with neighbours, where economic rationale will become even higher. Caspian region lacks direct access to European energy market, but Georgia is very much interested in legislative approximation, Azerbaijan in sustainable energy supplies and Armenia in financial and technical support by energy market reforms.
The EU is a very example for EaP countries in energy efficiency sphere. Even based on national success stories of different Member States, the EU is an example of strategic development toward more effective, eco-friendly and sustainable energy sector, technical, regulatory and mental improvements on the level on national economies and societies. EaP countries are already enjoying massive support of the EU in the sphere of energy efficiency and will need it even more in next period of time.
The EU is a vanguard in global movement towards low-carbon economics through radical reduction of emissions and continuous support to climate preservation. Based on Paris agreement, it should encourage EaP countries to set up ambitious national targets and propose assistance in achieving visible and tangible results.
EaP countries are involved into different European programmes, aimed at promoting cooperation of science, innovations and competition. Among them, Horizon 2020 is one of options, used by national researchers to enhance cooperation with European colleagues. However, the EU and national authorities have to work further on overcoming historical differences in educational and scientific spheres and regional distances to bring into EaP region more knowledge, innovations and competition mode.
In order to keep global top-position as economic power, the EU should play more active in international affairs, including policy dialog and security issues. Energy Union strategy should not be keen to internal energy market only, but include effective instruments for external policy making, including strong single voice in issues, which matter the entire energy chain from production through supply and transit to consumption.
The EU should be aware of necessity to speak and act strongly towards each and every state, which is doing or might undertake activities, hampering energy security in Europe. Without strong position and proactive policies, the EU will be not able to ensure proper functioning of the Southern energy corridor. Therefore, it should be ready to express towards Russia strong messages about consequences of its continuous activities to block by all means energy cooperation in Caspian region and construction of new supply routes to Europe through destructive influences on political and security situation.
Being a great example and contributor to energy sector reforms in most of the EaP countries, the EU will gain additional advantages from stronger partnership in energy issues, in particular, energy security relations.
