ABSTRACT
This chapter enhances the dynamics and vitalizes the energy relations between the EU and Brazil, India, China, and South Africa. It aims at abstracting the overarching themes and messages from the specific country contexts that apply in all four countries and the EU. The BICS countries' preference for cooperation with Member States often derives from the EU's unclear mandates and 'offers' for energy cooperation. Thus the EU needs to carve out clearly its value added and identify the role it would like to play in energy cooperation with the BICS. The European Union is often regarded by its partners as one of the most inflexible and inefficient actors. Dialogues are a very flexible cooperation modality and thus have great potential to adapt to differing situations and to achieve interesting results. Synergies with the approaches taken by Member States need to be created and the comparative strengths of different partners used to full mutual benefit.
