ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the complex institutional subsystem created by the European Union (EU) in the Caspian Sea Basin and Central Asia. It discusses the analytical framework for the study of EU external governance. The framework of the EU's external governance recognises the EU's peculiarity as an international actor, and it is useful to understand and assess the institutional dimension of the EU energy security strategy beyond EU borders, its mechanisms and its impact in third countries. The chapter presents the overall mix of external policy instruments and regional initiatives that the EU has progressively established. It describes the way these instruments have resulted in a complex and fragmented institutional system, which the EU is now adopting to extend its sphere of influence in regions that are crucial for European energy supply. The chapter also discusses some factors explaining the poor performance of EU external energy security governance.
