Energy security is a burning issue in a world where 1.4 billion people still have no access to electricity. This book is about finding solutions for energy security through the international trading system. Focusing mainly on the European Union as a case study, this holistic and comprehensive analysis of the existing legal and geopolitical instruments strives to identify the shortcomings of the international and EU energy trade governance systems, concluding with the notion of a European Energy Union and what the EU is politically prepared to accept as part of its unified energy security. This snapshot of multilateral, regional and bilateral energy trade governance deals with energy transit from the perspective of the Energy Charter Treaty as a means to enhance EU energy security, and examines the system of law and governance of international trade in unconventional fossil fuels. The authors analyze concerns that arise from preferential trade agreements and renewable energy from the EU's perspective, and explain how the EU can diversify its energy supply to improve its energy security. This book will be of interest to students, scholars, lawyers, economists, policymakers, and think tanks dealing with the links between energy security and international trade, as well as those communities relating to other energy-related disciplines.

This comprehensive book provides a thorough analytical overview of the European Union's existing law and policy in the field of international trade. Considering the history and context of the law's evolution, it offers an adept examination of its common commercial policy competence through the years, starting with the Treaty of Rome up until the Treaty of Lisbon, as a background for understanding the EU's present role in the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework. Accessible and thought-provoking, chapters offer a legal analysis of EU trade policy after the Treaty of Rome, after the conclusion of the WTO Agreement, at the Treaty of Amsterdam, at the Treaty of Nice, and at the Treaty of Lisbon, taking into account the most recent constitutional developments by the Lisbon Treaty on division of competences between the EU and its Member States. Additional thought is given to the role of major EU institutions and their balance within EU trade law and policy, and the tension between efficiency and accountability in decision-making processes in EU trade policy is further considered. Students and scholars working in the field of European and international trade law and policy, and international economic law and policy more generally, will find this a clear and useful resource. Practitioners seeking a clear and up-to-date insight into the area will also appreciate this important work.

This book focuses on the role of higher education institutions in addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges, contributing to the development of this fast-growing field. Further, it includes the results of empirical research and offers ideas regarding on-going and future research initiatives. The contributions also * showcase the research and projects on issues pertaining to climate change at universities from across the globe; * document and promote ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of research projects, especially successful initiatives and best practices; and * introduce methodological approaches and projects that offer a better understanding of climate change across society and economic sectors. The book is structured around two parts: lessons learned from climate change research, education, studies and projects. Each part focuses on mitigation and adaptation respectively, with many responses of the two modalities overlapping. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of environment, human geography, business and economics, as well as academics and students, as it presents education, communication and awareness-raising projects on matters related to climate change at universities in both industrialised and developing countries, often in cooperation with government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders.

This timely book examines international trade and investment law at various levels of governance, including unilateral, bilateral, regional, and multilateral arrangements.Rafael Leal-Arcas demonstrates that the nature of international trade law is fragmented and cyclical. Whilst not always straightforward, the process of making international trade law more multilateral, beginning with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, has been largely successful. The author shows how this success could be emulated for international investment law, as well as providing a careful analysis of the choice of jurisdiction ? regional versus global ? for the settlement of disputes.This insightful book will be an invaluable resource for research institutions, legal practitioners, judges, trade and investment policy-makers, officials at international organizations and national civil servants. Advanced students of international economic law, international investment law, external relations law of the EU, international trade law and WTO law will also find this book important.

This book examines the need for greater legal coherence within international trade negotiations between the European Union (EU) and external trade relations. An introspective analysis of EU trade law and policy is presented that highlights the complex issue of EU unity. A particular focus is given to the Doha Round and the General Agreement on Trade in Services, with empirical analysis placing the negotiations not just within the context of international trade law, but also within broader social and political contexts. This book aims to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of the EU's international trade negotiations. It will be relevant to researchers and policy-makers interested in international trade and EU law.

This book examines how international trade can be utilised to build a sustainable future. It highlights how international trade and climate regimes can work together to put in place a Green New Deal. The potential of mega-regional trade agreements to aid climate change mitigation and power the energy transition is explored in relation to the energy section, with a particular focus on clean technology. Broader perspectives are provided by an analysis of international trading systems in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands and a review of climate change law and policy in Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This book aims to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of how green trade can be achieved. It will be relevant to researchers and policymakers interested in international trade and environmental economics.

This book includes contributions by leading experts across the globe with the first part of the book focusing on the analysis of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, examines COP26, and questions the political process in the US for the creation of policy for meaningful greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Part 2 explores various ways in which one can effectively mitigate climate change. The contents provide an analysis of carbon pricing, development of specific green energy technologies to promote economic prosperity, and analysis of electric vehicles and other elements of electrification in areas with carbon-intensive electricity supply. Part 3 analyses the international dimension of energy governance (both regional and global) and climate action. It further provides an analysis of the challenges faced by small island developing states, least-developed countries and other vulnerable places. It also offers an analysis of the prospects for a European Energy Union and explores why energy security and decarbonization are significant. Lastly, it explores global energy governance and how its fragmentation can be reduced. This volume will be a useful reference for those in industry and academia.

International Energy Governance: Selected Legal Issues covers some of the most interesting and pressing areas of international energy law and policy. Eastern-Mediterranean, WTO and energy, external EU energy policy and the promotion of renewable energy and its various effects on market institutions are just examples of legal issues selected for this book. The authors provide a comprehensive account of these areas under a common theme of energy, trade and environment. This is recommended reading for international lawyers dealing with these topics.' - Kim Talus, University of Eastern Finland, FinlandIn a world that is hungry for energy security, the legal components at the junction of interstate energy cooperation have become increasingly important. International law as it stands today is not equipped to handle international energy governance issues fully, negatively affecting our aim to meet energy security. Selected legal deficiencies relating to international energy governance are identified in this salient book. The currently fragmented and multi-layered international energy governance regime is exposed and reviewed. If governance were streamlined for legal cohesiveness and international political and economic cooperation, it would promote energy security. The book offers a broad perspective on interstate energy cooperation in areas such as energy transit, energy market liberalization and energy investment. A more specific approach is presented in areas of cooperation such as trade and energy; trade, environment and energy; and energy exploration and maritime delimitation disputes. Finally, International Energy Governance considers energy as a special sector within the World Trade Organization and presents an analysis of European Union energy governance and renewable energy systems. This book would primarily be of interest to students, scholars, lawyers, policymakers, and think tanks dealing with the legal aspects of energy, as well as those communities relating to other energy-related disciplines. Contents: Introduction Part I. Interstate Energy Governance: Selected Legal Issues from Trade, Environment and Law of the Sea 1. A fragmented Global Energy Governance 2. Energy as a Special Sector in the World Trade Organization 3. Trade, Environment and Energy: Implications for the Conservation of Oil Resources 4. Energy and Law of the Sea: Eastern Mediterranean Basin Scenarios Part II. EU Energy Governance: Selected Legal Aspects 5. EU Energy Security 6. The EU and its Systemic Relationship to the Energy Community and the Energy Charter Treaty Part III. Renewable Energy in the WTO and EU: Selected Legal Aspects 7. Renewable Energy in the World Trade Organization 8. Renewable Energy in the European Union Part IV. Looking Forward: Bridging the Policy Objectives of Energy, Trade and Environment 9. Sustainable Development and Mega-regionals: The TTIP and TPP Index

Rafael Leal-Arcas expertly examines the interface of climate change mitigation and international trade law with a view to addressing the question: How can we make best use of the international trading system experience to aim at a global climate change agreement?The insightful book contributes to developing the architecture for a post 2012 global climate agreement and, in doing so, seeks and proposes new approaches to climate change mitigation by linking it to the international trade system. The author suggests the adoption of a bottom-up approach to climate change negotiations by using the evolution of multilateral trade agreements as a model for reaching a global climate treaty. He discusses the innovative approach of inserting climate goals within regional trade agreements, given their proliferation - especially bilateral - in the international trading system. He explains the trade implications of climate change mitigation policies by analyzing a couple of areas where the international regimes for trade and climate change mitigation may potentially clash. Climate Change and International Trade will strongly appeal to undergraduate and graduate students of international and European trade law, international and European environmental law as well as social science academics. NGOs, think tanks, practitioners, researchers, and international organizations will also find plenty of valuable information in this timely resource. Contents: 1. Prologue Part I: Setting the Scene 2. The Climate Change Challenge in the Context of International Trade 3. Environmental Protection and the International Trade System Part II: The Current State of Play 4. Legal and Policy Responses to Climate Change 5. Analyzing the Kyoto Protocol Part III: Moving Forward 6. Top-down and Bottom-up Approaches to Climate Change and Trade 7. Regional Trade Agreements and Climate Change 8. Geoengineering the Climate and Possible Trade Implications 9. Recommendations Bibliography Index

This timely book examines international trade and investment law at various levels of governance, including unilateral, bilateral, regional, and multilateral arrangements.Rafael Leal-Arcas demonstrates that the nature of international trade law is fragmented and cyclical. Whilst not always straightforward, the process of making international trade law more multilateral, beginning with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, has been largely successful. The author shows how this success could be emulated for international investment law, as well as providing a careful analysis of the choice of jurisdiction ? regional versus global ? for the settlement of disputes.This insightful book will be an invaluable resource for research institutions, legal practitioners, judges, trade and investment policy-makers, officials at international organizations and national civil servants. Advanced students of international economic law, international investment law, external relations law of the EU, international trade law and WTO law will also find this book important.

The Commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) provides a unique, article-by-article, textual analysis of this important international agreement. The ECT provides a multilateral framework for cross-border cooperation in the energy sector based on the principles of open competitive markets and sustainable development. By binding governments to commitments that guarantee open markets, non-discrimination, and access to foreign investment, the ECT aims to strengthen the global rule of law on energy issues and, in doing so, reduce the risks associated with energy-related investment and trade. Expert contributors provide commentary and analysis on the five primary areas of the ECT: investment promotion and protection, trade, transit, environmental protection, and dispute settlement. The optional protocols are also addressed, including issues such as energy efficiency and the environment. Clearly and logically organized, this commentary is an invaluable reference tool for those wanting to better understand the intricacies of the Treaty and its binding commitments. The Commentary will be an essential resource for practitioners, academics, and policymakers across the field of energy law and policy. Contributors include: V. Aleksic, G. Alvarez, C. Baltag, M. Baumgart, L. Borlini, A. Eckenroth, D. Geraets, S. Goldberg, C. Grasso, T. Hunter, A. Konoplyanik, R. Leal-Arcas, N. Lisney, D. Mejia-Lemos, B.H. Melgar, F. Montanaro, A. Morelli, A. Mudliar, M. Petri, L. Reins, O. Repousis, P. Serra, F.D. Simoes, C.G. Stanescu, P. Vajda

This timely book shows how the creation of a European Energy Union might be an effective and viable solution to the energy security problems that the European Union is facing. The aim is to make it easier to trade energy inside the EU. The EU currently has to rely on energy-rich countries for its energy needs, many of whom are politically and economically unstable; this places the EU in a vulnerable position. The book explores the institutional and legal framework for the creation of a European Energy Union, whose aim is to achieve affordable, secure, and sustainable energy. The book explores what the EU is politically prepared to accept as part of its united energy security. Combined with the perception of energy security being a pressing matter, the general disenchantment surrounding the European ideal in the wake of the economic crisis makes the task of ensuring affordable, secure, and sustainable energy a formidable challenge. In that vein, the European Energy Union could well be the flagship of this new outset towards a more prosperous, energy-secure, and united Europe-bearing in mind that EU member states wish to guard their sovereignty over national energy systems. In the past, there have been divisions between EU member states when trying to draft a united energy policy. The European Energy Union tries to rectify this deficiency. This book proposes the emulation of the EU's common commercial policy to reach a common position in EU energy policy. It analyzes the role of the Energy Community and the Euro-Mediterranean Energy Partnership as avenues to further integrate energy markets beyond European borders, especially with the Eastern and Southern neighbours of the EU. It also dwells on the advancements that could arise in terms of pan-European energy infrastructure through the anticipated financial boost resulting from, inter alia, the Investment Plan for Europe, the European Structural and Investment funds, and the Connecting Europe Facility. Finally, it provides an analysis of climate change mitigation by focusing on the importance of decarbonizing the economy and analyzing the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Highlights: First book to analyze the European Energy Union and the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Explains the five pillars of the European Energy Union. Cross-examination of the EU's competence in the areas of energy and trade to surmise whether a more harmonized European energy strategy could, legally and conceptually, be realized anytime soon.

Electricity Decentralization in the European Union: Towards Zero Carbon and Energy Transition, Second Edition examines progress in decentralization across the European Union, with each chapter focusing on developments and innovations in a specific country. Sections provide an overview of the current role and state of smart grids, the conceptualization of energy transition, and specific cases across all EU states. Across the chapters, regulatory frameworks are assessed to identify to what extent it is conducive to decentralization, with specific outcomes of decentralization covered in detail, including deployment of smart grids and meters, demand response, electric vehicles, and storage. The book highlights how specific EU member states are progressing towards deployment of these tools and technologies, along with the specific needs and regulatory barriers in each and recommendations for how regulation can be more encouraging. In addition, electricity interconnections in the EU are considered as a vital step towards decentralization in order to boost energy security and energy efficiency. Finally, the book includes a detailed examination of data protection concerns that arise from the advent of new technologies that collect personal information, such as smart grids, assessing current regulation on data protection and identifying areas for improvement, as well as innovative finance options for sustainable energy.