EU Energy Law and Policy : A Critical Account

Providing a critical examination of EU energy law and policy in its wider context, this book takes into account international energy markets and international energy policies, the economics of energy market regulation, geopolitical aspects of energy policy, and international developments that affect EU energy policy.

A critical overview of European Union energy law and policy, this book takes a law-in-context approach as it examines the development of EU energy law from the 1950s to the present day. It discusses the development of EU energy law; the application of general EU law into energy; the regulation of EU energy markets; international aspects of EU energy law; and policy, sustainability, and energy regulation. Presenting an up-to-date overview of EU energy law and policy and a critical analysis of its sub-areas, the book extends the discussion from electricity and natural gas markets to other areas of energy, including oil. This holistic approach to the subject is then placed within the broader context of the international geopolitical sphere which EU energy law and policy operates, as the author considers the impact of regional and international energy policies and markets on the EU markets and the overall EU policy. He also draws on the wider context and takes into account non-legal factors such as the impact of unconventionals, the rise of the BRICS, and the ''Arab spring''. The book frames EU energy law as a topic that can provoke intellectual, political, and professional discussion about the slowly moving train of economic regulation under the typical pressures and contradictions of countries and the European Union in the global economy.