Diversificação e segurança energética europeia

: gás natural e o corredor meridional

Abstract

As one of the major global economies, the European Union is dependent on external supplies of natural gas. Considering that its markets have a regional dimension, as main form of transportation of natural gas is effected through pipelines, the European geopolitical context faces a set of risks, some of which are political in nature, that undermine its energy security status regarding natural gas supplies. Hence, the European Union has implemented several strategies that aim to create a common market and space correlated to natural gas consumption; as it has been trying to boost its relations with other exporter, transit and consumer countries. Concerning such improvement in relations, the European Commission prioritized the creation of a new supply route, the Southern Corridor, composed by a pipeline system with the purpose of connecting potential alternative suppliers with its consumer markets. The main goal of this project serves the increase of diversification, as one of the fundamental solutions to reinforce European energy security. However, the alternative regions included in this strategy pose a number of challenges of diverse naturewhich may compromise the Corridor’s development. To analyse and understand all these contexts and, ultimately, to confirm the importance of the Southern Corridor’s contribution to the increase of the European energy security, are the objectives of this work.

Date of Award	28 Apr 2015
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Ana Raquel Coutinho Rosa Vaz Pinto (Supervisor)