Energy plays an important role in daily life and economic development of human society. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the European Union and Russia deepened their bilateral relations with the adoption of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 1994, which established energy as one of the areas of cooperation. Both parties recognised the key role of oil and natural gas in their energy security and economic development. However, energy cooperation was institutionalized only in October 2000, with the establishment of the Energy Dialogue, which officially framed the energy in the bilateral relations of the European Union and Russia. The Dialogue has become an important forum for the energy issues of both parties, bringing together many politicians, officials, experts, businessmen and academics to discuss the most pressing issues. The Dialogue symbolized the willingness of both parties to converge their energy markets and defend their common interests, being energy security the most relevant. Almost 17 years after its implementation, it is crucial to understand the effectiveness of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue, through an analysis on the achieving its objectives and the main challenges in a near future.
Keywords: European Union, Russia, Energy, Energy Dialogue, Energy cooperation
Pedro Camacho (pedrocamacho@outlook.pt)
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa