ABSTRACT
Recent developments like the rising trend in crude oil price, the international economic crisis, the civil revolts in Northern Africa and the Middle East, the nuclear threat in Japan after the tsunami, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the economic growth of emerging countries like China and India have a direct relation to the security of energy supply anywhere in the world. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of energy risks, energy scenarios and energy policies with special reference to the European Union and its member states, emphasizing the economic and geopolitical dimensions of energy security.
The book assesses both quantitatively and qualitatively the socioeconomic and political risks related to the European energy supply, together with the EU’s energy relations with other countries. Two innovative indicators have been developed to estimate geopolitical energy risks and energy-related relations with other countries. The book also examines the process of convergence of member states’ energy security policies, the path towards a common European energy policy, and the process of Europeanization projected towards the energy corridors through which the EU receive energy imports. In addition, alternative strategic scenarios related to energy risk are assessed. Finally, guidelines for the EU’s energy policy and new strategies using energy corridors are suggested in order to maximize EU’s energy security.
The book should be of interest to students and researchers across a wide range of subjects, including energy economics and policy, energy and foreign policy in the EU, energy policies in EU member states and several aspects related to international political economy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|103 pages
Energy, geopolitics and energy security
chapter 2|11 pages
Energy security, energy corridors and the geopolitical context
chapter 3|17 pages
Energy dependence, vulnerability and the geopolitical context
chapter 4|13 pages
Competition and complementarity in the international energy markets
part II|84 pages
Socioeconomic energy risk
chapter 9|23 pages
Using the Socioeconomic Energy Risk Index
part III|55 pages
Energy security and energy policy convergence in the EU
chapter 11|22 pages
The Europeanization of EU member states' energy security policies
part IV|63 pages
New strategies for the EU's energy security policy