TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EU ENERGY COMPLEX IN THE FACE OF GEOPOLITICAL RISKS AND MILITARY CONFLICTS: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
Abstract
The article is devoted to the actual problem of substantiating the main trends and prospects for the development of the EU energy complex based on a systematic approach in the context of geopolitical risks and military conflicts. The concept of the EU energy complex as a system whose components are the production, consumption and political aspects of energy in all its member states is revealed, which is aimed at implementing the goals of transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, achieving energy security, integration into the single internal market and decarbonization. The elements of the EU energy complex are systematized, and their characteristics are given. The indicators of the total volume of available energy by fuel type in the EU in 2019-2023 are analyzed and a downward trend is determined: in 2023, in general (-4.1% compared to 2022 and -10.42% compared to 2019), and, in particular, for all types of fuel, except for renewable energy sources. A study of the structure of fuels in the total available energy of the EU in 2023 showed that the largest share continues to be occupied by oil and petroleum products -37.62%, natural gas – 20.39% and solid fossil fuels – 9.38%. It is shown that the final energy consumption in the EU in 2023 was 17.2% below the 2030 target, with Transport (32.0%) accounting for the largest share of final energy consumption, followed by households (26.3%), industry (24.6%) and services (13.5%), while Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries consumed the smallest share (3.2%). Key trends in the development of the EU energy complex are revealed: a change in the energy balance, rapid growth of renewable energy sources, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and an emphasis on energy independence. The challenges of the development of the EU energy complex acceleration of the energy transition are presented: lack of funding, dependence on energy imports, reduced economic competitiveness, energy poverty; prospects-collective European actions, acceleration of the energy transition, technological integration, network modernization, availability and security of energy.
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