Gazele naturale în securitatea energetică europeană. Relaţia Uniunii Europene cu Federaţia Rusă

The aim of this paper is to offer a large spectrum assessment of the EU-Russia energy relation focusing only on one component of the EU energy mix – natural gas. The article documents the European-Russian gas relationship: its beginnings, actual state of affairs, disputed topics. The authors address the concerns of both sides involved – EU’s questions as to whether Russia will be able to sustain its growing demand for natural gas in the future, as well as issues like Russian energy security projections and the driving motive behind Russia’s refusal to ratify the Energy Charter. The study examines how much reciprocity is there in the Russian-European energy relation, the movement towards liberalization of the European gas market and how much it has benefited Gazprom in terms of capitalization during 2006. The study makes a strong argument for projecting a unified EU energy policy. The authors argue that in order to maximize the European energy security, the member states should, aside from designing a complementary and solid energy grand-strategy, also develop a gradual collective defense system in the energy field, capable of projecting a concerted response in a “one for all and all for one” mindset. A case study on the structural vulnerability and dependency of the Central European countries on Russian gas, emphasize the ability of Russia to divide the EU member states and undermine projects such as Nabucco. All in all the article highlights the stringent need for a concerted approach of the EU member states in order to secure alternative routes and gas providers or, at least, likeminded energy strategies.