The Black Sea and European Energy Security

Abstract

This article addresses the core issue of the transit of oil and gas across Black Sea countries and its impact on European energy security. The littoral countries of the Black Sea play a critical role in European energy security, not least because they participate significantly in oil and gas reaching Europe’s major consumer markets from further afield. They can be expected to continue to do so even as the European Union attempts to diversify its supply sources. Regarding oil, the article particularly focuses on the question of the Bosphorus bypasses, detailing and comparing alternative proposals for pipelines through Black Sea littoral nations. In terms of gas, it assesses the role played by Russia in European gas transit and supply and the dilemma in which Moscow finds itself as it weighs up its current monopoly over Central Asian gas transit with its own oil and gas investment requirements.

Notes

[1] Defining the Black Sea community is still a matter of taste. There are the six strictly littoral states: Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine. These, together with neighbouring Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Greece, Macedonia, Albania and Serbia and Montenegro, are all grouped within the cumbersomely named ‘Black Sea Economic Cooperation’ (BSEC) organization, the principal vehicle for expressions of common Black Sea interests. This article focuses primarily on the actual littoral states.

[2] Johan Gallistl, comments made at an Istanbul seminar in May 2004 and interview with the author.

[3] Interview with Johan Gallistl in Istanbul on 5 May 2004.

[4] The Russian investment figures are based on information provided by Boyko Nitzov, Senior Expert, Energy Charter Secretariat.

[5] ‘Gas Giant Threatens Russia’s Natural Wealth,’ 15 April 2004 〈http://www.mosnews.com/Gazetu.ru〉.

[6] Address to Conference of the International Centre for Black Sea Studies, Athens, September 2003.

[7] Address to Conference of the International Centre for Black Sea Studies, Milos, Greece, September 2003.