Is dependence really interdependence? Gas strategies seen from Central-Eastern Europe

Abstract

This article explores the dependencies between the European Union and its eastern member states and Russia. The EU -27 and Moscow formulate their energy security target -systems following two considerably different strategic energy approaches. The parties might initially appear to be interdependent in the examined field. This view, however, would only have relevance if the energy policies of the European Union were unifi ed and regulated at Union level, and this is not the case. Hence it is a more substantive question to ask what relationships separate member states maintain with Russia concerning gas affairs. The second half of this article concerns itself with an in -depth analysis of the central -eastern European member states of the European Union. It demonstrates, on the basis of historical and geographical factors and recent discussions regarding gas and gas lines, that the interdependence of countries in the eastern part of the Union and Moscow is asymmetric. Accompanying risks are even more severe, since the two regions, central -eastern Europe and Russia, are separated from each other by so-called gatekeeper countries.