CSM: The EU's Other 'Union' - Can Energy Unite Europe?

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is putting Europe’s energy security at risk. Europe is highly dependent on Russia’s natural gas, and past disputes between Russia and Ukraine left Europeans in the cold. This year is different. The European Union is launching an ambitious solution for its energy woes – an Energy Union. The big question now is whether Brussels can convince its member states to cut old ties to Moscow for good.

The EU’s 28 member states have deeply fragmented energy systems. Some regions remain “energy islands,” disconnected from core European energy infrastructure. The Baltic States, for example, do not have connections to the EU but are tied to Russia through a Soviet-era network of grids and pipelines. These infrastructure challenges have broken the EU into small, weak energy markets, and thus far, the EU has not been able use its full weight as the world’s largest energy importer.

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