Energy Security and Unconventional Gas

Krzysztof Walski explores energy security in Europe and the role of possible new shale gas opportunities and other methods to diversify Europe's energy sources to further advance an internal energy market and the hope for Europe’s energy security.

Energy Security and Unconventional Gas

By: Krzysztof Walski

On June 4 2012, top European Union officials met with Vladimir Putin, in a tsarist palace outside of St. Petersburg, as part of a biannual EU-Russia summit. Along with Herman Van Rompuy, Catherine Ashton, and Manuel Barroso tellingly was Gerhard Oettinger, the EU Commissioner of Energy and Alexander Novak, the Russian Energy Minister.

In addition to discussing issues of the financial crisis in the Eurozone, disagreements about how to deal with Syria and the removal of visas for Russians, the energy sphere was a hot topic. For one, the EU’s Third Energy Package is seen by Russia as unfavourable to its interests. The EU has also been working towards decreasing its vulnerability to dependence on one supplier, especially after the supply disruption in the winters of 2006 and 2009. It has been increasingly looking at alternative sources of energy such as liquid natural gas (LNG), building more interconnectors and developing common energy plans. These steps would further advance an internal energy market and the hope is Europe’s energy security as well. However, the relationship between the EU and Russia regarding energy may be influenced by an outside player and technological advancement, namely the United States and the shale gas revolution.

To read the full article click here: https://www.neweasterneurope.eu/node/358