CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2022
| Author | Ali Isgandarov |
|---|---|
| Title | Geoeconomics of Energy Trade by the European Union: the case of the Southern Gas Corridor |
| Summary | An increase in trade and economic ties between countries does not exclude the escalation of conflicts in contemporary international relations; however, the means by which conflicts are pursued have shifted from military to economic sphere. In this respect, geoeconomics as an analytical framework is useful in explaining the pursuit of strategic (geo)political goals through economic means. Linking the geoeconomic thinking to realist school of thought, the focus has been on non-Western powers’ use of economic instruments for geopolitical purposes. This paper sheds some light on the European Union’s resort to geoeconomics in its foreign energy policy by the strategic use of its economic might and regulatory state in the case of the Southern Gas Corridor as an energy diversification project vis-à-vis the dependency on Russian gas as the single supplier. Utilizing the method of process tracing, the research demonstrates that motivated by the security of supply concerns the Commission 1) as a covert geoeconomic strategy selectively accommodated particular pipeline segments in the EU territory by providing both exemptions from competition rules and financial support for construction in contrast to the Russian-sponsored pipeline projects targeting the same energy markets in South Eastern Europe and 2) as a hegemonic geoeconomic strategy has attempted to extend the EU market model and liberalization agenda on energy to partner countries in the near abroad in order to achieve regional leadership and create favorable environment within its geopolitical landscape. |
| Supervisor | Fetzer, Thomas |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/isgandarov_ali.pdf |
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