The New Politics of Energy Security in the European Union and Beyond: States, Markets, Institutions

by Andrea Prontera (Author)

Combining theoretical reflections and empirical insights from paradigmatic case studies in the area of external energy governance, pipeline politics, Liquefied Natural Gas development and offshore petroleum policy and politics, this ground-breaking study demonstrates that a distinctive and new politics of energy security is definitively emerging in the European Union. Innovative not only in regard to the case studies presented (which include the Caspian region, the Baltic, Mediterrean countries, Central Asia and EU-Russia relations), but also in regard to the analytical framework adopted – an International Political Economy approach informed by an historical institutional perspective – the book challenges the common view of the ‘de-politicisation’ of energy security supported by the mainstream market approach and the power politics and ‘zero-sum game’ view supported by the geopolitical perspective. This book places the study of EU energy politics in the broader, evolving context of global energy markets and explores the complex interactions between EU and national political dynamics and between energy security and environmental concerns at the local level.

Review
"A cogent and highly readable book about the politics of energy security in Europe and beyond. Analyzing oil and particularly natural gas developments in a wide area stretching from the Baltic to the Mediterranean sea, Andrea Prontera convincingly demonstrates that energy security is neither a matter of geopolitics, or of markets, but rather of both." -Thijs Van de Graaf, Assistant Professor of International Politics at the Department of Political Science at Ghent University in Belgium.

"Eschewing traditional approaches and dichotomies, this book takes us on a fascinating journey to understand the transformation of European politics of energy security over the past decades. The book definitely succeeds in unpacking the meshing of old and new dynamics in a lucid, insightful and instructive way." - Anna Herranz-Surrallés, Maastricht University, Netherlands.

About the Author
Andrea Prontera is Assistant Professor of International Relations and EU Institutions and Policies in the Department of Political Science, Communication and International Relations at the University of Macerata, Italy. His main research interests and publications lie in the areas of international political economy, comparative public policy and energy policy.