ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD

Key priorities for the EU and the case of Greece

A. DAGOUMAS

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Figure 3: Concentration of electricity and gas retail markets in EU Member States in 2013,

source: ACER/CEER 2014

In October 2014, The European Council, during the discussion on the Energy & Climate

Package for 2030

agreed on the following points to: “implement critical Projects of

Common Interest in the gas sector, such as the North-South corridor, the Southern

Gas Corridor and the promotion of a new gas hub in Southern Europe as well as the

key infrastructure projects enhancing Finland’s and the Baltic States’ energy security,

to ensure diversification of energy suppliers and routes and ensure Market function-

ing.” From the above analysis, as well as the Commission priority on establishing an

Energy Union

, the EU is looking to simultaneously ensure Energy Security, establish

an Internal Energy Market and tackle Climate Change across the Continent. The simul-

taneous achievement of those Key Energy Priorities for the EU is considered a Triple

Dividend, where the EU and the member states should decide a portfolio of policies

that satisfy and does not offset these targets. Although these targets are considered

as pan-European and the EU is designing its energy and climate strategy in order to

achieve them, each Member State has its own flexibility to direct its national policies

as supplementary to the European ones.

This paper will take a closer look at how Greece, a member state of the EU, has de-

signed its policies according to the framework of the European energy and climate

strategy in order to meet the Triple Dividend. Furthermore, this paper examines the

complementarity of European and national policies as they are pursued in Greece.

Specifically, Greece is currently forging a path toward the incorporation of the

European Energy and Climate Package for 2030, while also seeking energy security

enhancement through diversification of Routes and Resources and the exploitation of

Indigenous Resources. Furthermore, it aims to implement critical energy infrastructure

projects, moderate energy demand through the financing of Energy Saving projects,

15. European Council Conclusions of 23 and 24 October 2014, EUCO 169/14.

16.

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