ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to discuss the challenge of reconciling economic and social concerns in the EU energy law and how the continuing imbalances and injustices could be addressed in future energy policy and legislation in the realm of the EU 'social market economy'. It focuses on social and economic rights regulated within the sphere of EU energy law. The chapter addresses the energy-specific provisions of the Treaties, secondary legislation, international agreements in the field of energy and relevant soft law instruments. It examines the EU's competences in the field of energy and examines the way in which different socio-economic aspects of the energy sector are regulated in EU secondary legislation. The chapter provides a synopsis of relevant soft law instruments, laying down relevant policy frameworks for the functioning of European energy markets. The development of the EU energy market mirrors the development of the internal market.
