Europe & Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Europe & Russia - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that   Europe’s natural gas consumption continues to rise while the domestic natural gas production decline. If trends persist as projected, Europe’s dependence on Russia and large supplier of gas is likely to grow. Europe, as a whole, is a significant importer of natural gas, with Russia being one of Europe’s most powerful natural gas suppliers. Russia has been active in safeguarding its European gas market share through the state-controlled company, Gazprom, which has pursued to stymie European-backed alternatives to pipelines it controls by suggesting competing pipeline projects and availing European companies stakes within those projects. Moreover, the entity has endeavoured to dissuade possible suppliers (especially those within Central Asia) from participating in European-supported plans. Moreover, the dominant companies have raised their environmental concerns in an effort to impede other alternatives to its supplies, such as untraditional natural gas. This has made some European countries feel vulnerable to possible Russian energy supply manipulation that may frustrate diversification. Energy security takes diverse forms and can be guaranteed by diverse mechanisms that can take the form of both regulatory and market-based.