A new EU Gas Security of Supply Architecture?

The Clingendael International Energy Programme (CIEP), together with the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), the Loyola de Palacio Chair at the Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI) and Wilton Park have organized a series of workshops in order to take stock and discuss a possible new architecture for EU gas security. Discussions and reflections reported from the workshops held under this project have developed into the following recommendations for a new EU gas security of supply architecture that are synchronized in this policy brief.

– The EU gas security of supply architecture has had some impressive developments. Today, security of energy supply as a goal in itself is not only enshrined in the European Treaties. Rather, it is also addressed directly and indirectly by various hard and soft law measures that tackle it from several complementary angles.
– However, judging from the lessons learned during past supply crises and the results btained so far, the inevitable conclusion is that we have not yet achieved a European approach to ensuring gas security of supply within the EU.
– A new EU gas security of supply architecture should distinguish between a longterm dimension, i.e. the post-2020 period and a short-term dimension, i.e. the period up to 2020.
– For both periods it is recommended to define a clear and articulated policy vision,
long-term focusing on i) the (re-)definition of the role of gas in the EU energy fuel mix and energy system, ii) the EU external energy policy and iii) the achievement of the internal gas market; short-term focusing on i) the speedy implementation of the Third Energy Package, ii) the European Energy Infrastructure Package and iii) the EU energy solidarity concept.

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