Reinforcing Energy Governance under the EU Energy Diplomacy: A Proposal for Strengthening Energy Frameworks in Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-267
Author(s):  
Matteo BARRA ◽  
Martin SVEC
Keyword(s):  
Energy Sector ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
African Countries ◽  
External Energy ◽  
Member States ◽  
Energy Governance ◽  
Energy Diplomacy ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThis article, initially discussed at a conference organised in March 2017 by the Belgian Commission for Electricity and Gas Regulation (CREG) on the new governance structures in the EU energy sector, deals with energy governance structures in the EU energy and climate diplomacy and in development cooperation between the EU, its member states and third countries.It is understood that, at large, the existing tools of EU energy and climate diplomacy create governance structures: bilateral partnerships, trade agreements, regional and multilateral orders are per se instruments to govern the underlying relationship between the EU, its member states and third countries. The focus in this paper revolves around those instruments of EU energy and climate diplomacy which aim at reinforcing energy governance structures (referred to also as institutional and normative energy frameworks) and promoting solid transparent frameworks in the field of energy in partner countries.In particular, the paper aims at identifying – among the existing tools of the energy and climate diplomacy –instruments and opportunities in favour of African countries which contribute to strengthening those institutional and normative energy frameworks and facilitate investment towards universal energy access and energy transition. To do so, the paper reviews the existing policy and legal instruments of EU external energy action in general and in Africa and concludes proposing policy recommendations on further development cooperation and energy diplomacy initiatives in favour of African countries.The first section reviews the principles of EU energy and climate diplomacy and their alignment with development objectives, including the emphasis on strengthening institutional and normative frameworks in the energy sector. The second section considers the internal coordination between the EU and its member states which is necessary to carry out the external energy and climate diplomacy as well as development cooperation. The third section describes the existing tools of the EU energy diplomacy that aim to strengthen energy institutions and frameworks in partner countries. The fourth section reviews a selection of existing EU initiatives in favour of African countries and brings forward a proposal for EU action to reinforce energy governance structures of partner countries in Africa.

scholarly journals Gas Triangle Russia – EU – Ukraine: Pending Risks

2019 ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Stanislav MITRAHOVICH
Keyword(s):  
Political Context ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Integration ◽  
Integration Policies ◽  
Economic Process ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Conflicting Interests ◽  
Energy Diplomacy ◽  
The Eu

The preparation for the conclusion of a new gas transit contract between Russia and Ukraine, at the end of 2019, turned out to be an extremely difficult political and economic process affecting the interests of various actors. Conflicting interests and positions of Russian and Ukrainian political leaderships and business companies, as well as those of the USA, EU, Germany have been involved. Another important political context for energy diplomacy have been the EU integration policies, including the implementation of the updated EU Gas Directive into the national laws of member states.

scholarly journals Regional governance in the new CEE member states of the EU

Competitio ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-48
Author(s):  
Daniel Pop
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Member States ◽  
Meso Level ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Level Government

This paper discusses how the CEE-10 countries complied with the EU conditionality in the field of regional policy, examining whether the territorial reforms implemented were carried out leading to the enrooting of sub-national regional governance structures. Following the discussion of the EU requirements in the field of regional policy, I turn to a case by case analysis of how the meso-level government tiers were set up in the CEE-10 countries. The analysis leads to the finding that the limited interest in the CEE-10 countries to develop extensive regional governance structures by creating new autonomous sub-national governance structures coupled with the frequent contradictory and often unofficial requirements by the European Commission during negotiations, has led to a weak institutionalization of meso-level governments when compared to the institutional and policy structures within the EU-15.

Human Rights in EU Development Policy

2021 ◽  
pp. 682-706
Author(s):  
Jan Wouters ◽  
Michal Ovádek
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
External Action ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Member States ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
Constitutional Level ◽  
The Eu

This chapter studies the role of human rights in EU development policy. The place of human rights in development policy was solidified at the constitutional level with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which made the promotion of human rights in all EU external action a legal obligation. As a result, different institutional mechanisms, thematic guidelines, and dedicated instruments and strategies have been put in place to consolidate a comprehensive operational framework aimed at ensuring that EU development programs advance human rights worldwide coherently and consistently. EU development policy is a shared competence, which means that both the EU and its Member States are entitled to act within this domain, as long as national actions do not undermine EU laws and positions. The sharing of competences, however, makes it more difficult for the EU to live up to the commitment of coherent and consistent promotion of human rights. In any case, substantial amount of coordination between the EU and the Member States is required in order to deliver coherence in development policy. However, the role of the EU as a normative leader in development cooperation remains subject to a multitude of long-standing criticisms and various evaluations of EU human rights policy point to a series of mixed results and missed opportunities.

Falling numbers will not ease EU migration tension

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Relations ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Burden Sharing ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Member States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Eu

Subject EU immigration division. Significance Immigration to Europe has fallen substantially over the past three years, largely because of stricter rules in EU member states and enhanced cooperation with the EU's neighbours. This downward trend, however, coincides with growing tensions between member states over how to tackle immigration once migrants and refugees enter European territory. Impacts Unable to agree on an effect asylum seekers reform, the EU will continue funding African countries to stop irregular migratory flows. Disengagement of EU search and rescue assets and more reliance on under-trained North African coast guards will make sea migration deadlier. Divergent views on immigration burden-sharing could worsen foreign relations between populists in Italy and those in Hungary and Poland.

scholarly journals The EU as an emerging coordinator in development cooperation: perspectives from sub-Saharan Africa

Afrika Focus ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Delputte
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Aid Effectiveness ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The European Union ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Eu

This report presents the proceedings of the eld research conducted in the framework of a doctoral research on the European Union (EU) as an emerging coordinator in development cooperation. This research aims to seek in-depth and interpreted understanding of the paradox between the EU’s ambitions on the one hand and practice on the ground on the other by investigating the EU’s role in four sub-Saharan African countries (Tanzania, Zambia, Burkina Faso and Senegal). As such, it aims to add empirical evidence to the debate on the role of the EU as a development actor. More specifically, it investigates how the ambitions of the EU are translated at country level and in which situations the EU is more/less likely to act as a coordinator, making use of a pragmatist research approach. This approach is especially suited to problem-driven research that aims to understand a complex phenomenon. The article introduces the research question and the rationale, gives an overview of the research approach and the methodological considerations and ends with a summary of the research process and the preliminary findings of the eld research. Key words: EU development policy, aid effectiveness, coordination, pragmatism, interview research 

EU Energy Plan faces two-year uphill battle

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Policy ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Market Regulation ◽  
Member States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Union ◽  
Long Line ◽  
Eu Energy Policy ◽  
Energy Diplomacy ◽  
The Eu

Significance The proposals are the latest in a long line of attempts to establish a more integrated approach to energy policy within the EU and greater coordination of energy diplomacy with the rest of the world. The latest scheme, conceived against the background of deteriorating relations with Russia and amid fears for the bloc's energy security, originated in calls from former Polish Prime Minister (now President of the European Council) Donald Tusk for the EU to act collectively to boost its indigenous energy resources and negotiate collectively with energy exporters. Impacts The Energy Union could help to enhance EU energy policy and diplomacy but stops well short of centralising energy policy decisions. It is unclear how far member states will be willing to delegate responsibilities in areas such as market regulation and energy diplomacy. It is uncertain how far the Commission will be prepared to use enforcement powers where member states fail to meet existing commitments.

18. International Development

2020 ◽  
pp. 413-439
Author(s):  
Jan Orbie
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Policy Coordination ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Policy Domain ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Rise Of China ◽  
Budgetary Power ◽  
The Eu

The European Union (EU) is widely recognized to be a major actor in international development cooperation. First, this chapter discusses key issues and debates in EU development policy. These relate to the importance of the EU in this field, the different objectives that it pursues, the aid budgets at its disposal, and the legal competences vis-à-vis the member states. Secondly, the uniqueness of this policy domain, compared to other EU policies in this volume, is addressed. Specifically, it highlights three distinctive features: the availability of budgetary power outside the EU, the long historical legacy dating back to member states’ colonial past, and the key role of trade as the preferred tool for development. Thirdly, the chapter elaborates two main policy-making domains: the EU as a donor itself and as a coordinator of member states’ policies. Overall, the EU follows the regulatory and distributional modes in its role as a donor, and when it seeks to coordinate member-state policy, the policy coordination mode is to the fore. Moreover, intensive transgovernmentalist features appear in both domains. The conclusion summarizes the main trends and future challenges including the implications of Brexit, the rise of China, and the increasing politicization of aid.

scholarly journals Towards Sustainable Energy Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6037
Author(s):  
Justyna Tomala ◽  
Mateusz Mierzejewski ◽  
Maria Urbaniec ◽  
Sergio Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Least Squares Method ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Weighted Least Squares ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Classification And Regression Tree ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan

Sub-Saharan Africa is considered a region with enormous economic and demographic potential. One of the main challenges it faces, included in the “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, implemented by the African Union”, is to provide access to electricity. Currently, 600 million inhabitants of the African continent do not have access to electricity, which is a significant limiting factor for further economic growth and socio-economic development. Moreover, the measures taken by individual Sub-Saharan African countries appear insufficient in the face of rapid population growth. The aim of the article is to analyse the opportunities and challenges of the development of Sub-Saharan Africa’s energy sector. This raises the following research question: to what extent can a sustainable energy transition be achieved in sub-Saharan African countries to ensure access to electricity? The study used Ward’s hierarchical clustering method, classification and regression tree analysis, and the distance-weighted least squares method. The results show that the level of development of the energy sector in the individual countries of Sub-Saharan Africa varies greatly. Moreover, the Sub-Saharan African region is exposed to the effects of climate change, which also affects the development of the energy sector and whether or not access to electricity can be ensured. The study contributes to assessments of the adaptive capacity and transformative potential of the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is particularly important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7, which relates to building more robust and efficient systems, as well as implementing diversified energy sources. This research is crucial to bridge the energy access gap and build a resilient and sustainable economy in Sub-Saharan Africa countries.

Constitutionalizing Governing and Governance in Europe

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poul F. Kjaer
Keyword(s):  
Global Governance ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Nation State ◽  
Member States ◽  
Conflict Of Laws ◽  
The Eu

The EU is a structure positioned “in-between” hierarchically organized nation-state governing structures and heterarchically structured global governance structures. Thus, the EU is a hybrid which relies partly on governing and partly on governance. This two-dimensionality is a central reason why the question of the constitutional character of the EU remains fundamentally unresolved. Thus, it is proposed that the EU should aim for developing a constitutional form aimed at alleviating the tensions inherent in the European construction through a conflict of laws approach. In order to respect the hybridity of the Union, such an approach, however, will have to be based on a three-dimensional conflict of laws concept. It would have to take account of horizontal conflicts between territorial units, vertical conflicts between the EU and its member states, and also horizontal conflicts between the functionally differentiated structures of the wider society.

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