The Weakest Link? Hedging Energy Security Challenges and Opportunities within the Eastern Neighbourhood, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea/Caspian Region

The shift from oil to gas has inevitably led to the emergence of regional energy politics with a growing number of stakeholders involved in influencing and shaping the energy security discussion. What used to be predominantly the sovereign decision of a state has now become a subject of discussion which, owing to geological, political and often security constraints, may have an effect on the success of a policy. The regional aspect of energy politics is particularly potent with regard to natural gas. This is especially the case with regard to the broader geographical space comprising of the Eastern Neighborhood, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea/Caspian region. With the world’s largest proven gas reserves to be found in this tripartite ‘Shared Neighborhood’, inevitably the dynamics of natural gas politics have conflated, demanding new solutions.