The Southern Gas Corridor: Prospects and Challenges for EU Foreign Policy

Abstract

As the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) is nearing completion, the European Commission has recently expressed an interest in the future doubling of its capacity. In addition to Azeri gas, Turkmen gas could be made available through gas swaps involving Iran. However, the SGC poses an ethical, environmental and security conundrum for European energy and foreign policy. Major issues include the partnership with Azerbaijan’s regime, transit dependence on Turkey and large public investments in infrastructure that may become stranded as the EU transitions away from fossil fuels and due to competition from Russian gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Moreover, current US policy casts doubt on Iran’s future involvement and regional stability.