Pipeline politics and energy (in)security in Central and South-Eastern Europe

This essay concerns energy security, or more specifically energy insecurity, in Central and South-Eastern Europe. Energy insecurity is not unique to Central and South-Eastern Europe. The region shares many concerns with other parts of Europe and states across the globe. However, because of the historic legacies of the region’s communist past, some of the vulnerabilities and threats it faces are more pronounced. Monopolization of the market by Russia, as the primary supplier, means that long-term bilateral export-import contracts tend to be less favourably priced, resulting in higher energy costs. The mix of energy types used by states in the region is considered to be less diverse than in Western Europe, meaning that any disruption to their primary energy type could be problematic. This is especially so when it is acknowledged that the region’s import infrastructure is dominated by static pipelines built during the Soviet era and that integration with Western European infrastructure is limited. The importance of pipelines cannot be underestimated. Central and South-Eastern Europe is considered to be the most vulnerable region of Europe with regard to energy security. In order to better understand how pipeline politics plays a role in creating challenges and vulnerabilities for Central and South-Eastern Europe’s energy security, as well as informing policy solutions, we need to consider the region’s relations with its primary and potential energy suppliers, such as Russia, and with its partners in the wider EU