On the surface, both the EU and Russia have a clear interest in cooperating in the field of energy: Russia is searching for viable solutions to its severe economic problems and thus has an obvious interest in exporting its resources to the EU states, which in turn are welcoming them with open arms – most of the time. Why, then, has the relationship between the EU and Russia been so strained in recent years? This paper argues that ongoing tensions stem from a mix of normative, ideological, and material factors and the incompatibility of norms and rules guiding their respective energy policies.
Integral components of EU's supply security strategy are diversification, transparency, and solidarity. Russia’s desire - fuelled by its self-perception as an anti-Western superpower - to strengthen its advantageous geostrategic, monopolistic position in energy relations with the EU directs its behaviour vis-à-vis its most important energy importer. At the moment, Europe’s strong dependence on Russian energy imports bolsters Russia’s revisionist tendencies and reinforces its historically and politically guided interests on the continent.
The paper concludes with an analysis of the likely implications of these tensions for the European quest to achieve energy security—with a special emphasis on the particularly vulnerable countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
