A NEW EU GAS SECURITY OF SUPPLY ARCHITECTUREThe 2011 LdP annual research project focuses on EU gas supply security governance: "How should European institutions and regulation adapt and respond to increasing challenges to European gas security of supply such as high energy prices, the occurrence of regional supply shortfalls and the increasing reliance on imports from third countries?" The Chair wants to contribute to the current debate on new rules and a truly European approach on gas security of supply. Four workshops organized by the LdP Chair in cooperation with its three project partners, The Clingendael International Energy Programme, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and Wilton Park are organised between May and December 2011. They will look at the external energy relations of the EU in energy matters, infrastructure and solidarity issues with their respective underling legal and economic regulation. The workshops will host academics and stakeholders (energy ministries, European Commission, regulators and the industry). For details and timetable please visit the Annual Project page.
EXCHANGING RENEWABLES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN - THE LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK In 2011 the LdP Chair will do a stocktaking report on the legal and institutional framework in place for exchanging renewables in the Mediterranen bassin.
ENERGY NETWORKS AND REGULATION UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE POLICYIn 2010, the LdP Chair engaged in a program of four workshops dedicated to energy networks and regulation under climate change policy in cooperation with the research group “Network Economics and Engineering” at the SUPELEC engineering school (France). We looked at the needs of transmission and distribution networks for a new kind of regulation supporting EU climate change policy. These workshops hosted academics and stakeholders (energy ministries, European Commission, regulators and the industry). The program delivereda set of ending conclusions and recommendations on the needed adaptation of network regulation to the EU climate change policy.
SCHENGEN-LIKE REFOUNDATION OF EU ENERGY POLICY In 2009/2010 the LdP Chair undertook further research on a possible improvement of the institutional foundations of EU energy policy. A part of this work resulted in a cooperation with the Think Tank “Notre Europe” and ended in the policy proposal made by Jacques Delors in April 2010 (“Towards a European Energy Community”).
In May 2010 the Climate Policy Research Unit (CPRU) has been created within the EUI’s Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies under the Loyola de Palacio Chair, integrating the new center’s activities with existing energy and regulatory policy activities, such as the Florence School of Regulation. Director of the CPRU is Denny Ellerman, also part-time professor at the RSCAS, and recently retired as a Senior Lecturer from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
"CARBON MARKET & RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN EUROPE" project Start Date: January 2011
Expected Date of completion: December 2011
An abiding question in climate policy is the extent to which a price on carbon provides an incentive for the deployment of renewable energy technologies. This question takes on added importance with the consideration of sectoral trading or crediting proposals as potential offset mechanisms whether under the Clean Development Mechanism or a successor or as part of the EU's Emissions Trading Program. The present project is examining the experience with renewable energy technology in Europe where a uniform carbon price has co-existed for some years with highly variable national policies providing more direct incentives for deployment. The objective of the research project is to determine the relative roles of the carbon price and the more direct incentives in the deployment of renewable energy technology in Europe.
In March 2011 the Economics of Global Governance Unit has been founded under the Loyola de Palacio Chair. With this new unit the Chair opened its 3rd research strand. It contributes to the Global Governance Programme of the EUI's Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies,directed by Miguel Maduro. Eric Brousseau, part-time professor at the RSCAS, is in charge of this new unit that will undertake research on the 'Economics of Global Governance'. Aim of this unit is to provide the first forum in Europe fostering interdisciplinarity on the issue in a transversal and fundamental way.
