Three energy pillars or three energy policies?

Abstract

From 2004-2007 the EU has developed a new concept of common policy: the “European” Energy Policy. It however still does not exist, and European countries did not help one another during the first and the second oil shocks (in the 70s and 80s). Energy has always been considered a “matter of sovereignty”. One claim is that the EU Energy Policy is now based on three pillars: the Internal Market, the Mitigation of Climate Change and the Security of Supply. Is this claim true? Is our inter-nal market actually amplifying or reducing our security of supply? Is our climate change policy rein-forcing or weakening our internal market? Is our need for security of supply compatible with more and more renewables and fewer and fewer long-term deals with our primary energy rich neighbours?