Movement of energy prices during the European energy crisis in 2022 : master's thesis

U ovom radu nastojalo se prikazati i dokumentirati kretanje cijena energenata u Europskoj uniji u svjetlu najveće geopolitičke krize u Europi od Drugog svjetskog rata, a koja je ujedno rezultirala i energetskom krizom. Analiziran je rast cijena nafte, plina, električne energije i ugljena čije su cijene tijekom 2022. godine dosezale rekordne razine. Također, dan je i neizbježan osvrt na utjecaj rata u Ukrajini na kretanje cijena energenata u Europi, a koji je i ukazao na krhkost energetske sigurnosti Europe, te na ogromnu ovisnost Europe o ruskoj nafti i plinu. Rast cijena energenata izazvao je niz lančanih reakcija poput rasta cijena hrane, goriva, prijevoza, grijanja, inflaciju i recesiju u nizu europskih država i čime je znatno ugrožen i poljuljan standard europskih građana. Ono što bi se, nakon svih istraživanja i dostupnih podataka, moglo dati kao zaključak ovog rada jest da energetska kriza nije gotova i da je vrijeme jeftine energije u Europi prošlost.The thesis aimed to present and document the movement of energy prices within the European Union in light of the most consequential geopolitical crisis in Europe since World War II, which resulted in energy crisis. The analysis encompassed the escalation of oil, gas, electricity and coal prices, all of which reached unprecedented heights in the course of 2022. Furthermore, it offers an insight into the influence which the conflict in Ukraine had on the energy price dynamics in Europe, illuminating the vulnerability of Europe's energy security and its reliance on Russian oil and gas. The surge in energy prices set off a chain reaction, leading to elevated costs of food, fuel, transportation, heating, and also inflation and recession across various European nations. This substantially compromised and unsettled the quality of life for European citizens. Drawing upon exhaustive research and available data, the conclusion that can be drawn from this thesis is that the energy crisis persists, and the era of affordable energy in Europe has come to an end