Abstract
This master thesis analyzes the European and Russian energy security, in light of political science and international political economy.
The aim of the study is to analyze the extent to which the European Commission´s (EC) antitrust investigation against Gazprom can affect Russia´s security of demand and the European Union´s (EU) security of supply. The energy security discussion is seen in context of some general characteristics of the gas industry, namely its imperfectness. Hence, the study attempts to give a better understanding of what can be understood as “typical Russia” and what can be understood as “typical gas”. Finally, the study seeks to illuminate how problems in the EU-Russia energy relationship in part are a consequence of different preferences and understanding of the situation. This creates a systemic uncertainty whether the understanding of one another is adequate or not.
I present three hypotheses - EC´s antitrust investigation has:
Ho: no implications for the energy security of EU and Russia.
H1: positive implications for the energy security of EU and/or Russia
H2: negative implications for the energy security of EU and/or Russia
I conclude that the antitrust investigation will have negative implications for Russia´s security of demand. It will abolish essential practices for a natural gas producer to guard against risk in an imperfect market. Contrary, the antitrust investigation will have positive implications for EU´s security of supply. A liberalized Russian gas policy will increase its flexibility and diversity as conditions to secure gas supplies.
However, the hypotheses will be modified. Firstly, the antitrust investigation can have positive implications for Russia´s energy security if it provides incentives to address some serious pitfalls within the Russian gas sector. Secondly, it can have negative implications for EU´s energy security if it limits Gazprom´s range of action to deliver the growing need of gas.