Focusing on gas, this article explores the role of European Commission in process Union energy security policy development, and extent to which area is becoming increasingly supranational. Situating within literature agenda-setting framing, it argued that a window was opened as result of: enlargement include more import dependent states, trend increasing imports prices, gas supply disruptions. From mid-2000s, contributed shift political norms, successfully framing dependency problem...

Despite the burgeoning literature, evidence on how right-wing populists frame and act energy climate issues is limited even more scarce for other types of populist parties. We address this gap by exploring policy discourses, positions actions six European parties from Austria, Czechia, Greece, Italy, Poland Spain belonging to different populism. argue that there substantial largely neglected variation among in their approach effects EU (ECP). find support notion right-leaning valence are at...

The notion of 'just transition' (JT) is an attempt to align climate and energy objectives with the material concerns industrial workers, frontline communities, marginalised groups. Despite potential for fusing social environmental justice, there growing concern that concept being mobilised in practice as a form 'climate delayism': problem more ambiguous than open forms denialism it draws multiple conflictual agents, practices, discourses. Using historical materialist framework, attentive...

The on-going transition towards low-carbon forms of energy provision (frequently termed 'energy transitions') has triggered far-reaching material, economic and institutional reconfigurations at the global scale. There is evidence to suggest that transitions increase social vulnerability actors involved in affected by them, including entities operating different scales, from individual households entire states. However, link between remains poorly understood. We aim formulate an explicitly...

Abstract Fears about the security of supplies have been central to debates development an integrated EU energy policy over past decade, leading claims that has ‘securitised’. Previous analyses found, however, although shared concerns are frequently used as justification for further integration, they can also serve a rationale Member States resist sharing sovereignty. Transcending this apparent paradox would require not just agreement whether concerns, but what kind concern are. In article,...

The launch of the 'Energy Union' in 2014, represented a major step to deepen EU cooperation energy and climate policies. Yet, energy, member states have remained particularly jealous their sovereignty, limiting pace scope integration. policy appears fit specifications 'new intergovernmentalism' (NI). Member been keen on reinforcing but refrained from delegating further authority supranational institutions, preferring maintain high level control within Council European Council. However,...

Abstract The European Union (EU) post‐COVID‐19 investment and reform programme, the Recovery Resilience Facility (RRF), has been hailed as novel ambitious, both a fiscal instrument lever for accelerating progress towards EU climate commitments. Yet, its design also exhibits strong path dependency, drawing on existing processes Adapting theories of institutional change models hard/soft governance, we argue that RRF is an example significant yet gradual – evolution rather than revolution...

This article examines the impact of enlargement on European Union performance in energy and climate change policies. It looks at process-driven performance, focusing agenda-setting, negotiation dynamics institutional – as well outcome-driven looking ambitiousness policy objectives their implementation. The empirical analysis is based qualitative, comparative case studies EU security shows that has had a nuanced but contrasted two areas. also points to recent assertiveness Central Eastern...

The EU and Russia exist in a complex and, at times, seemingly paradoxical contradictory relationship. On the one hand, two sides remain rhetorically committed towards close developing strategic partnership. other, EU-Russia political relationship is currently its lowest ebb since end of Cold War due to crisis Ukraine. A mixture politics, economics geography provide an impetus for development mutually beneficial relations same time, obstacles achievement such positive No matter how tense may...

There has been growing awareness across the world of negative health effects air pollution. Poland is European country that worst affected by this problem, and Polish government in recent years adopted a number measures designed to reduce coal use. This paper explores role civil society activism shift, investigating extent which local activists played catalytic shaping popular pollution accounting for policy developments area. We draw on individual-level data from two Eurobarometer surveys...

Considering the development of Bulgarian energy security strategy this article analyses how country has adapted to EU membership and challenges, such as disruptions Russian gas supplies in 2006 2009 rising prices. Utilising a conceptual lens which synthesises Regional Security Complex Theory Europeanisation, offers an explanation policy changes. It concludes that conceptions Russia guarantor have changed since Bulgaria's accession undergone qualified reorientation away from positive...

In 2013, there was a joint commitment to "long term strategic EU-Russia energy cooperation".11. EU/RF Roadmap, 'Roadmap Energy Cooperation until 2050', European Commission and Russian Government, March p. 4, available at <https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/2013_03_eu_russia_roadmap_2050_signed.pdf>. Whilst centred on oil gas, it is noted that "the importance of renewables for relations should grow too",22. Ibid., 21. efficiency, "cooperation potential immense could…...

To meet its 2050 climate neutrality goal, the EU must undergo a rapid economic and societal transformation.While scientific knowledge on causes impacts of change is established, comparatively little research focuses understanding myriad social political aspects this transformation.Natural science disciplines have robustly established that paramount challenge for humanity and, indeed, these received lion's share funding [1].The resultant gap is, however, jarring, as barriers delays to action...

This article examines renewable energy policy in Bulgaria and Romania (2007–17) the reasons behind unexpected rapid growth renewables followed by a reversal. While we find strong formal compliance with EU legislation regarding targets for energy, an examination of institutional change dismantling both countries finds that this was not supported paradigmatic or transformation system. Veto players worked to dismantle once were reached. We use insights from intersection socio‐technical systems...

Bulgaria is a significant natural gas transit state in the EU (a role set to increase with South Stream and potential Nabucco West pipelines) Member State subject regulation. As result, regulation of country direct relevance development, implementation realisation energy security policy. However, transposition EU's Third Energy package seem be dependent on intermediaries process transiting through within Bulgaria. This paper uses conceptual frame which merges literature infrastructure...

When faced with highly heterogeneous national conditions and preferences, the EU has often resorted to differentiation ensure political support for advancing common policies. Despite growing scholarly interest in EU, conceptual clarity empirical evidence of different forms are still a nascent stage. Particularly use times crisis needs be better understood. To address this research gap, we investigate renewable energy policy response stirred by Russia’s full-scale invasion Ukraine. We find...

EU governance is experiencing a shift towards soft frameworks that incorporate 'harder' elements. Using qualitative case study approach and an original set of elite interviews, we examine two policy areas – health energy where similar such architectures the European Semester Energy Union Governance Regulation are now core tools. Three research questions addressed: (1) What mechanisms employed to harden these frameworks? (2) driving this shift? And, drawing on more extensive experience...

Recent scholarship on popular mobilization and activism in Central East Europe suggests a shift from institutionalized civil society organizations towards grassroots mobilization. Whilst the emergence of such citizen-led across region can be traced back to anti-neoliberal urban movements that arose 2010s immediate post EU-accession period, so-called "illiberal turn" legal restrictions placed formal by radical right conservative politicians have arguably exacerbated momentum. In Poland,...

The 2015 Paris climate Agreement established a 'bottom-up', pledge and review process as international governance's central framework. European Union's governance framework – the Energy Climate Governance Regulation (EUGR) uses similar architecture. Both require states to regularly create, revise update national plans while ramping up ambitions towards meeting collectively agreed commitments sharing features of Experimentalist Governance. This paper contributes debate on experimentalist...

Air pollution in the UK has recently re-emerged as a major policy problem. Insights from agenda-setting literature are used here to explain extent which air quality become national political issue, and local issue London. The article explores development of problem stream scientific experts non-governmental actors have since late 2000s, provided evidence related economic particularly health costs pollution, increasingly framed urgent. Key focusing events also contributed increasing media...