The Transformation of the EU Neighbourhood and the Associated Changes of Energy Interdependence

Kateřina Kočí from the Department of International Studies and Diplomacy at the FIR VŠE, has received support from the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) for a new research project titled “Transformation of the EU Neighborhood and the Associated Changes of Energy Interdependence.” The project will be carried out from 2025 to 2027 and reflects the current geopolitical developments and their impact on European energy policy.

Markéta Votoupalová and Zbyněk Dubský, also members of the Department of International Studies and Diplomacy, are participating in the project. The University of Economics in Prague is one of the project partners, with Lukáš Tichý from the Metropolitan University Prague serving as the principal investigator. Other researchers involved include Milan Vošta and Martin Zubko.

The project addresses the EU’s reassessment of its neighbourhood policy following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It focuses on emerging patterns of energy interdependence between the EU and its eastern and southern neighbours (notably Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and countries in the MENA region). The aim is to map out the shift in energy relations, identify new energy sources and suppliers, and analyse the political and discursive transformation of the EU’s external energy strategy, particularly in light of the European Green Deal. The project contributes to the understanding of EU policy framing and regional energy security.