Abstract
This chapter defines and explores the European Union (EU)’s ‘regulatory power’ and ‘economic power’, with a view to assessing the dynamics and potential of both forms of power in the EU’s external energy strategy. Overall, the chapter finds that the EU’s regulatory power, based on regulation and legislation, proves suitable to address some of the challenges of a more ‘geopolitical’ external energy environment. Although the Commission used regulatory power for mercantilist ends, this power, clearly, is limited as by definition it works best in a market context. Acknowledging that the Energy Union pushed security of supply to the center stage, the chapter concludes that the EU is best advised not to try to use its economic (and not just regulatory) power more assertively and adopt a strategy with ‘liberal mercantilist’ elements.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Andersen, Svein S., Andreas Goldthau, and Nick Sitter. 2015. The EU regulatory state, commission leadership and external energy governance. In EU leadership in energy and environmental governance? Global and local challenges and responses, ed. J.M. Godzimirski. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Belyi, Andrei V. 2009. A Russian perspective on the Energy Charter Treaty (ARI). Madrid: Real Instituto Elcano. ARI 98.
Belyi, Andrei, and Andreas Goldthau. 2015. Between a rock and a hard place: International market dynamics, domestic politics and Gazprom’s strategy. EUI Working Paper RSCAS 2015/22.
Bohne, Eberhard. 2011. Conflicts between national regulatory cultures and EU energy regulations. Utilities Policy 19: 255–269.
Correlje, Aad, and Coby van der Linde. 2006. Energy supply security and geopolitics: A European perspective. Energy Policy 34(5): 532–543.
Council of Ministers. 2009. Report by the Presidency to Coreper on the implementation of Articles 290 and 291 TFEU (Delegated acts and implementing measures). Council Document No.16998/09, 2 December. Brussels: Council of the European Union.
De Hauteclocque, Adrien. 2008. EC antitrust enforcement in the aftermath of the energy sector inquiry: A focus on long-term supply contracts in electricity and gas. In EU energy law and policy issues, ed. B. Delvaux, M. Hunt, and K. Talus. Brussels: Euroconfidentiel.
European Commission. 2010. Energy 2020. A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy. Brussels: COM(2010) 639 COM(2010) 639.
European Commission. 2011. Energy Roadmap 2050. Brussels.COM(2011) 885 final.
European Commission. 2015. Energy Union package. A framework strategy for a resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the EUropean Investment Bank. COM(2015) 80 final, Brussels.
Financial Times. 2015. Europe antitrust chief not afraid of starting a fight. 08 March.
George, Stephen. 1985. Politics and policy in the European Community. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Goldthau, Andreas, and Nick Sitter. 2014. A liberal actor in a realist world? The Commission and the external dimension of the single market for energy. Journal of European Public Policy 21(10): 1452–1472.
Goldthau, Andreas, and Nick Sitter. 2015a. A liberal actor in a realist world. The European Union regulatory state and the global political economy of energy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Goldthau, Andreas, and Nick Sitter. 2015b. Soft power with a hard edge: EU policy tools and energy security. Review of International Political Economy 22(5): 941–965.
Larsson, Robert L. 2006. Russia’s energy policy: Security dimensions and Russia’s reliability as an energy supplier. Stockholm: Swedish Defence Research Agency.
Lyons, Paul K. 1992. EC energy policy. A detailed guide to the community´s impact on the energy sector. London: Financial Times Business Information.
Lyons, Paul K. 1994. Energy policies of the European Union. London: EC Inform.
Manners, Ian. 2006. Normative power Europe reconsidered: Beyond the crossroads. Journal of European Public Policy 13(2): 182–199.
Matlary, Janne Haaland. 1991. From the internal energy market to a community energy policy? An analysis of decision-making with emphasis on natural gas. Lysaker: FNI.FNI-Report 005.
Matlary, Janne Haaland. 1997. Energy policy in the European Union. London: Macmillan Press.
Padgett, Stephen. 1992. The single European energy market: The politics of realization. Journal of Common Market Studies 30(1): 53–75.
POLITICO. 2016. Pro’s morning energy: Comm’s gas contract plans. 21 January.
Riley, Alan. 2012. Commission v. Gazprom: The antitrust clash of the decade? CEPS Policy Brief 31 October (285).
Sjursen, Helene. 2006. The EU as a ‘normative power’: How can this be? Journal of European Public Policy 13(2): 235–251.
Whitman, Richard G. 2011. Normative power Europe: Empirical and theoretical perspectives. London: Palgrave.
Yergin, Daniel. 2006. Ensuring energy security. Foreign Affairs 85(2): 69–82.
Zimmermann, Hubert. 2007. Realist power Europe? The EU in the negotiations about China’s and Russia’s WTO accession. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies 45(4): 813–832.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Andersen, S.S., Goldthau, A., Sitter, N. (2017). From Low to High Politics? The EU’s Regulatory and Economic Power. In: Andersen, S., Goldthau, A., Sitter, N. (eds) Energy Union. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59104-3_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59104-3_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-59105-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-59104-3
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)