The «Impossible Triad» of the EU Energy Security

The concept of energy security of the European Union includes three elements: to provide a secure, affordable and sustainable energy. The article argues that this understanding of energy security is self contradictory, since three above mentioned objectives could not be reached simultaneously. The analysis of the contradictions between particular areas of EU energy policy, as well as some case studies of interfuel competition confirm this conclusion. For example, security supply usually requires additional expenses, thereby generating a conflict with the objective of minimizing the cost of energy. Additional costs may be associated with a higher cost of energy from a secure source in comparison with the "unsecure" one, the investment in infrastructure, political costs or even the costs of providing hard security in the region of supply. Providing additional security of supply may result in infrastructure excessive under the market logic, and structure of energy mix irrational from an economic point of view. This inevitably would increase energy price for the end consumer. Therefore, EU energy policy, politically declaring all three objectives simultaneously, in practice emphasizes one or another objective of the triad, reacting to current challenges and adapting to the changing balance of influence within the EU. The article traces the history of changing priorities of EU energy policy and their causes. Dynamic of EU energy policy priorities is determined by external factors and the changing balance of interests of the EU Member-States. Shifts from one objective to another became more frequent in the last decade in comparison with 1980s-1990s, as the differences in the energy interests within the Union have increased in line with the number of the EU countries The fluctuations between the objectives of the energy triad and the need to follow, at least verbally, all three priorities reduce efficiency and coherence of EU energy policy.

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