The European Union’s dependence on non-EU sources of energy has become a significant concern within Europe and one that is likely to grow even stronger if—as anticipated by the International Energy Agency—this dependence increases from 50 per cent in 2000 to 70 per cent in 2030.

However, one of the principal conclusions to emerge from the debate organised on 7 November 2007 by the French Foundation for Political Innovation on the theme ‘The EU’s energy requirements: the importance of the Black Sea region’ was that underlying this dependence is essentially a situation of interdependence. In effect, Europe’s internal energy offer is declining while its demand for energy is growing and as a result its relations with Russia, the principal external supplier, are becoming increasingly important (and delicate). However, the participants in the debate underscored the two-way nature of this relationship. According to Alexandre Vulic (Deputy Director of the Office of Eastern European Affairs at the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs), Russia has no credible buyers for its energy resources other than the European Union, despite its attempts, as pointed out by Senator Aymeri de Montesquiou, to secure outlets in the East (China, Korea, Japan). Moreover, lacking a veritable investment strategy for the development of infrastructure, Russia remains dependent on Europe for its technologies and for the modernisation of its economy, and on Central Asia for its gas reserves.

In this context the pursuit by 27 EU member countries of different policies towards energy-producing countries (and transit countries) is clearly not ideal from a European point of view. Indeed, as Agnija Rasa (member of the cabinet of the European Commissioner for Energy) pointed out, several initiatives have been taken to prompt the emergence of a common external energy policy that would allow Europe to enhance the security of its future energy resources.