The European Union as a Recognised Energy Actor in Relations with the Russian Federation, 2014–2019

Abstract

EU energy policy influences the energy cooperation of its member states with Russia. Thus, how Russia perceives the European Union as an energy actor is significant. The article draws on an analysis of the discourse—and the topics within it—of public statements by Russian political leaders and officials regarding energy relations with the European Union in the period 2014–2019. By interpreting the core themes and content, it attempts to prove whether the European Union is recognised as an energy actor by Russia or whether Russia, rather, continues to acknowledge individual states as actors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 ‘The Energy Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2035 (Government Decree No. 1523-r of 2020)’, Russian Federation, 9 June 2020, available at: https://policy.asiapacificenergy.org/node/1240, accessed 8 October 2021.

2 See also the special issue, ‘EU External Policy at the Crossroads: The Challenge of Actorness and Effectiveness’, International Relations, 27, 3, 2013.

3 See also the special issue, ‘Framing and Reframing the EU’s Engagement with the Mediterranean’, Mediterranean Politics, 23, 1, 2018.

4 See also Hansen (2006), Tichý (2019a).

5 ‘Alexander Novak: Russia is Ready to Fulfil its Obligations to European Consumers of Russian Gas’, Press Release by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union, 19 September 2019, available at: https://russiaeu.ru/en/news/press-release-ministry-energy-russian-federation, accessed 7 June 2020.

6 See also Putin (2018b).

7 ‘Meeting with Government Members. Vladimir Putin Met with Government Members to Discuss Accessibility of Social Services, Including in Remote Districts and Rural Areas’, The Kremlin, 24 June 2015, available at: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/49757, accessed 7 June 2020.

8 ‘EU Ends Antitrust Case against Gazprom without Fines’, Reuters, 24 May 2018, available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-gazprom-antitrust-idUSKCN1IP1IV, accessed 4 January 2021.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (grant number 21-04317S) under the title ‘Energy Discourse of the European Commission and the European Parliament and its Effect on the Member States' and is the result of the Metropolitan University Prague research project no. VVZ 87–03 ‘International Relations and Territorial Studies’ (2021), based on a grant from the Institutional Fund for the Long-Term Strategic Development of Research Organizations.

Notes on contributors

Zbyněk Dubský

Zbyněk Dubský, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of International Relations, Prague University of Economics and Business, náměstí Winstona Churchilla 1938/4, 130 67, Prague, Czech Republic. Email: [email protected]

Lukáš Tichý

Lukáš Tichý, Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations and European Studies, Metropolitan University Prague, Dubečská 900/10, 100 00 Prague 10—Strašnice, Czech Republic. Email: [email protected]