Russia-EU Energy Relations: From Complementarity to Distrust?

Energy, climate change and security: The Russian strategic conundrum

“…As a major producer and exporter of energy, Russia should be therefore expected to grasp the chance to diversify its markets to avoid over-dependence on only one consumer. Market diversification is particularly relevant now that political relations with main European consumers of Russian energy have become more constrained in the aftermath of the 2014 aggression against Ukraine (Godzimirski, 2016). This conflict has undermined trust in Russia as a strategic partner: there have been concerns that Russia might use its energy resources as a political tool, whereas others hold that, due to the need to mitigate climate change, not only Russian but all fossil fuels should be banned (Egenhofer et al, 2015).…”

L’hybridation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l’interdépendance. Les échanges gaziers UE-Russie

“…L'UE a fondé sa stratégie d'interdépendance sur l'exportation de son modèle de régulation gazière. Or, cette stratégie pose la question de la légitimité des règles exportées (Godzimirski, 2015, Newmann et Posner, 2015, Manners, 2002, et de manière plus générale celle de la complémentarité et de la cohérence de ce modèle avec l'environnement institutionnel russe. La mise en oeuvre d'une régulation concurrentielle dans le secteur gazier russe peut être mise en question au regard de la faiblesse de la Rule of law (droits de propriété mal définis, difficultés à mettre en oeuvre une fiscalité adéquate, problème contractuel), des bas prix régulés du gaz naturel (parfois inférieurs aux coûts de production) et surtout des formes de coordination non monétaires (troc et non-paiement) qui caractérisent l'économie russe durant toutes les années 1990 et 2000.…”

National institutional systems’ hybridisation through interdependence. The case of EU-Russia gas relations

“…The EU's efforts to export competition-based regulation and its 'gas model' raises the question of the legitimacy of exported rules (Godzimirski, 2015;Newmann and Posner, 2015;Manners, 2002), and more broadly the issue of whether this model can be complementary and consistent with Russia's institutional environment.…”

“…Following Russia's refusal to sign the Energy Charter Treaty and the deepening of liberalization process of European gas industries, the analyses carried out implicitly focused on the confrontational implications of EU-Russia interdependence. These analyses put forward an "institutional hiatus" and the inability to define an energy workable governance structure (Godzimirski, 2015;Van Der Meulen, 2009;Romanova, 2014;Boussena and Locatelli, 2013). The question of the confrontation of national institutional system and the overlapping of rules in interdependence remains central in analysing UE-Russia relationship.…”