English
By Evmorfia Chrisovalantou-Seiti, International Relations Expert
Energy is crucial for a nation’s security, economic stability and global trade. The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price,-as International Energy Agency defined- considering energy security, it could be vulnerable in case of an attack or disruption of the marine environment. Over the time, EU member states are highly depended on the safe and continuous supply of energy resources due to the low supplies taking placed domestically.[i]
As European Commission has mentioned, European imports are more than half of the energy it consumes. The dependence of its imports is more than 90% for crucid oil and about 66% for natural gas. In total, the import bill is around 1 billion euro per day. Furthermore, many EU countries are as well heavily reliant on a single supplier, including some that rely entirely on Russia for their natural gas. This dependence leaves them vulnerable to supply disruptions, in case of political, commercial disputes or infrastructure failure. On May 2014 the European Commission as a response to these concerns, released the Energy Security Strategy . This Strategy aims to ensure stable and copious supply of energy for European citizens and economy.[ii]
All these developments highlight the importance of the uninterrupted supply of energy for all EU countries. Moreover, another important aspect of this issue is to ensure the security in maritime areas which affect directly or indirectly the European interests. As EU Maritime Security Strategy of June 2014 mentioned, European Union depends on open protected and secure seas and oceans beyond others for its energy security. More specifically, European energy security is highly depended on the maritime routes and infrastructures. The increase of the European states’ fleets and the sufficient port infrastructures -LNG facilities for instance- contributes to a well-functioning energy market.[iii]
Threats and challenges in maritime areas of interest for European Energy Security
The Mediterranean Sea
Another development that highlights the importance of the Mare Nostrum, concerns the increased efforts on the delimitation of maritime zones, especially since the discovery of significant reserves of natural resources and oil reserves with an estimated volume of 3.5 trillion cubic metres of natural gas and 1.7 billion barrel of oil in Leviathan, Israel[iv]
The Black Sea
The Black Sea is characterized as a stable region. Although, it is a complicated region with significant resources, it has a great strategic importance as a hub for transfer of energy. The Black Sea is bordered by three NATO member states, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, as even with Ukraine, Russia and Georgia, and faces a number of significant challenges which affect European security. These include direct threats to ships and shipping in general. Last but not least, the Black Sea is used for illegal activities by criminals and terrorists.[v]
The Gulf of Guinea
This area represents the interest of the EU for two main reasons. Initially, due to the huge quantity of oil and gas in this region, noteworthy is the fact that this region is currently the source of about 5.4 million barrels of oil per day. This number is equivalent to the total amount imported from the 28 states of the EU belong in 2008. While in 2011 the supply of oil from the in the EU Member States and 29% of US oil consumption in the same year.[vi]
The Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed sea with an area of 413,000 square kilometres. The Baltic Sea is particularly important especially in these neighboring countries, engaged in trade, fisheries and marine tourism. Also, is considered as an important transmission route from Asia to Western Europe.
The Baltic Sea is considered as an area of potential threats scenarios. As mentioned above, the Baltic sea is an energy supply route to Europe . Through the pipeline North Stream, the supply of gas from Russia to Germany now bypasses Ukraine and Poland. However, even if the ecological risks are negligible and controlled by the responsible company, the risk of disaster remains a feasible scenario.
Moreover, a significant number of critical infrastructures in the sea economic area are in the shadow of a possible terrorist attack. That is, a potential terrorist attack at an international port or on oil rigs or in off shore wind parks may caused serious impacts in industrialized nations. This scenario can affect the import and export capabilities as well as can cause incalculable economic cost.[vii]
The South China Sea
The South China Sea is located in the Pacific Ocean region. The importance of the area is great for a variety of reasons. First of all, about 50% of world oil trade by sea and more than 50% of global goods passes from there in an annual basis. Something that further enhances the importance of the South China Sea is the fact that it is surrounded by major economic powers such as Japan, China and South. Korea. This beach is also known as a ‘sea avenue’.
A serious challenge that can cause instability in the region itself but also throughout the world is a long-standing dispute between the states of the region on the delimitation of maritime zones such as the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones. The already existing conflicts in the South China Sea have been escalated by recent discoveries of natural resources.[viii]
The EU Action Plan on Maritime Security Strategy of December 2014, mentioned that is essential to identify areas of common interest in maritime security between the EU and various regional forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Despite the fact that this area is far- away from EU borders, affects directly the vital interests and any escalation of these crises can threaten security and stability of the EU.[ix]
The vision of European Energy Union
The European Commission and the European Council have recently called for an Energy Union. The creation of a European Energy Union appears to be the European Commission’s priority. The establishment of the European Energy Union, it is necessary for a secure, sustainable, competitive affordable energy for every European citizen. It is well known that the European Union has a low rate of sources supplies inside its borders. Energy is a key factor for competitiveness and economic growth. Since the discovery of oil and gas in the South-eastern Mediterranean and the Arctic Ocean and the tectonic shifts occurring in the international chessboard, made the EU to step up the pace in order to preserve the maritime zones compromising its financial interests. It is vital to reduce the EU’s energy dependency from imports. The dependency rates climbs to 50% of energy needs. If there are any changes in the level of dependency by 2030, it is estimated that rate will rise to 70%.
Energy Security vs Maritime Security
Regarding the achievement of its economic, social and environmental goals, European Union confronts serious challenges in the energy sector, the increasing dependence on imports, climate change, the rise in demand and obstacles to the internal energy market. But another key issue is the correlation of maritime security with the energy security of EU as referred above.
The establishment of maritime security is crucial due to the fact that modern industrial societies depend on the open sea lines of communication, the infrastructure safety as well as the protection of natural resources of the seabed.
The shift of EU external policy in energy issues emerged from the recent discovery of significant energy resources especially in the Mediterranean basin and after the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine, which caused deterioration of relations between the EU and Russia, the imposition of sanctions by the European side, while Russia uses the important ” card ” of energy as a political weapon in order to achieve its main objectives.
Threats and security challenges are constantly changing in an unpredictable manner. Without safe seas is clear that member states can not safeguard the financial interests of the European coalition. Also, attacks cases like a French tanker from Al Qaeda in 2002 or in 2004 where another attack was held on a tanker of organization from the Philippines and more recently, terrorist attacks on oil installations, all these are examples which demonstrate the importance of establishing law and order in seas and the need for all these grand policies to put into action.
[i] Captain Brian Wilson, U.S. Navy, ‘Maritime Energy Security’, This article was originally presented at NATO Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism (COEDAT) in November 2012 during the NATO SPS sponsored Critical Energy Infrastructure Protection (CEIP) Advanced Research Workshop (NATO ARW) and published by IOS Press in the ARW Book[ii] European Commission, ‘Energy Security Strategy’, https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-strategy/energy-security-strategy
[iii] Council of the European Union, ‘European Union Maritime Security Strategy’, Brussels, 24 June 2014
[iv] Carlo Masala and Konstantinos Tsetsos, ‘’The Maritime Dimension of the European Union’s and Germany’s Security and Defence Policy in the 21st Century, Maritime Security of the European Union’’, ISPW Strategy Series: Focus on Defence and International Security, Issue No.229, May 2013
[v] Orhan Babaoglu, ‘The Black Sea Basin: A New Axis in Global Maritime Security’, Policy #1027, The Washington Institute, August 24, 2005
[vi] ‘’Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea’’, Report of the conference held in Chatham House, London, 6 December 2012, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, March 2013
[vii] Η. Μölder, ‘’NATO’s Role in the Post-Modern European Security Enviroment, Cooperative Security and the Experience of the Baltic Sea Region’’, (2006,26)
[viii] Shicun Wu, ‘’Maritime Security in South East China’’, National Institute for the South China Sea Studies, Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies Series, Ashgate, October 2009
[ix] Council of European Union, ‘’Maritime Security Strategy- Action Plan’’, Brussels, 16 December 2014, available at http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/maritime-security/doc/20141216-action-plan_en.pdf