Energy Security and Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP): The Wider Black Sea Area Context

There is a growing interest in the European Union (EU) in defending its energy interests through the use of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) instruments. This derives from the fact that the EU already relies on external sources for 50 per cent of its energy needs while most estimates suggest this will rise to 90 per cent for oil and 70 per cent for gas by 2030. Energy security in the European context is a particularly interesting case study given the number of issues at play. It involves the security of supply, the security of demand, the reliability of contractual arrangements on energy, the physical security of critical installations and their personnel, the interplay between national and supranational energy policies, and the quality of overall relations with Russia. With regard to the wider Black Sea area, it has to take into account the recent developments such as greater EU involvement in that part of the world. In other words, it involves a number of variables and possible outcomes including the linkage between EU foreign policy and energy policy. Ultimately, whether CFSP can successfully be used in terns of energy security remains to be seen.