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Soft power with a hard edge: EU policy tools and energy security

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  • Andreas Goldthau
  • Nick Sitter

Abstract

International security debates surrounding the European Union (EU) energy supply challenge commonly invoke the need for more EU hard power - e.g. getting tough on Russia or engaging directly with other exporters. This article investigates whether what might be labelled 'soft power with a hard edge' instead amounts to a consistent policy strategy for the EU. The central argument is that the EU has turned a weakness into strength, and developed a set of tools that sharpen the way soft power is exercised in the energy sector. The article explores how soft power affects companies that 'come and play' on the EU market: the rules of the Single European Market (SEM) and how they affect external firms. It also assesses the long reach of the SEM: both the gravitational 'pull' the SEM exerts in the 'near aboard', and the EU's 'push' to facilitate the development of midstream infrastructure and upstream investment. The conclusion is that the EU regulatory state is emerging as an international energy actor in its own right. It limits the ways states like Russia can use state firms in the geopolitical game; and it exports its model into the near abroad, thus stabilizing energy supply and transit routes.

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  • Andreas Goldthau & Nick Sitter, 2015. "Soft power with a hard edge: EU policy tools and energy security," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 941-965, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rripxx:v:22:y:2015:i:5:p:941-965
    DOI: 10.1080/09692290.2015.1008547
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniel W. Drezner, 2007. "Bringing the Great Powers Back In, from All Politics Is Global: Explaining International Regulatory Regimes," Introductory Chapters, in: All Politics Is Global: Explaining International Regulatory Regimes, Princeton University Press.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andreas Goldthau & Nick Sitter, 2021. "Horses for courses. The roles of IPE and Global Public Policy in global energy research [The profits of power: Commerce and realpolitik in Eurasia]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 40(4), pages 467-483.
    2. Mišík, Matúš, 2016. "On the way towards the Energy Union: Position of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia towards external energy security integration," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 68-81.
    3. Nicoli, Francesco & van der Duin, David & Burgoon, Brian, 2023. "Which Energy Security Union? An experiment on public preferences for energy union alternatives in 5 western European countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    4. Catherine Locatelli, 2018. "La confrontation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l'interdépendance : les échanges gaziers UE-Russie," Working Papers hal-01715932, HAL.
    5. Odysseas Christou, 2021. "Energy Security in Turbulent Times Towards the European Green Deal," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(3), pages 360-369.
    6. Mehdi Abbas & Catherine Locatelli, 2019. "Interdependence as a lever for national hybridization: The EU-Russia gas trade [L’hybridation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l’interdépendance. Les échanges gaziers UE-Russie]," Post-Print hal-02472141, HAL.
    7. Escribano, Gonzalo & Paredes-Gazquez, Juandiego & San-Martín, Enrique, 2020. "The European Union and the good governance of energy resources: Practicing what it preaches?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    8. Locatelli, C. & Abbas, M., 2019. "Interdépendance complexe et hybridation des modèles institutionnels nationaux : le cas des relations énergétique UE-Russie," Working Papers 2019-02, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    9. Michael Carnegie LaBelle, 2023. "Energy as a weapon of war: Lessons from 50 years of energy interdependence," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(3), pages 531-547, June.
    10. Locatelli, C., 2018. "La confrontation des systèmes institutionnels nationaux dans l'interdépendance : les échanges gaziers UE-Russie," Working Papers 2018-03, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    11. Francesca Pia Vantaggiato, 2020. "Networks as First Best? Network Entrepreneurship and Venue Shifting in the Establishment of the Network of Euro–Mediterranean Energy Regulators," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(3), pages 654-671, May.
    12. Landry, Paulina, 2020. "The EU strategy for gas security: Threats, vulnerabilities and processes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    13. Tomasz Jerzyniak, 2024. "The EU De‐Risking of Energy Dependencies: Towards a New Clean Energy Geopolitical Order?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 12.
    14. Catherine Locatelli & Mehdi Abbas, 2019. "Interdépendance complexe et hybridation des modèles institutionnels nationaux : le cas des relations énergétiques UE-Russie," Working Papers hal-02100098, HAL.

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