An essential and practical guide to the energy laws and regulations of the European Union (EU), fully updated to cover the latest expansion of the EU, the effects of the financial crisis, and new developments in renewable energy.

An essential and practical guide to the energy laws and regulations of the European Union (EU), fully updated to cover the latest expansion of the EU, the effects of the financial crisis, and new developments in renewable energy.

This authoritative Research Handbook presents, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the most important research and latest trends in EU energy law and policy. It offers high-quality original contributions that provide state-of-the-art research in this rapidly evolving area, situated in the broader context of international economic law and governance.

"This fourth volume of the 'ELRF' book 'EU Energy Law and Policy Issues', as with the previous versions of the book, offers an overview of some of the most recent developments taking place in the EU energy law and policy sector. In this respect, the reader will find a number of contributions which provide detailed and critical views on some of the main issues in this area. Over the years the Energy Law Research Forum or "ELRF" has confirmed it has a role to play in the energy law and policy debate. Today, the ELRF includes most of the younger generation of EU energy law specialists with an academic interest, and the book has become a reference for research and literature, as well as for the Court of Justice of the European Union. This edition of the book covers topical issues ranging from exemptions and derogations in the EU energy acquis, pricing, access, investments, nuclear energy, external energy relations as well as the role of regulatory authorities in the EU and beyond."--Back cover.

EU energy law and policy have become more and more complex in recent years. Today these areas feature a multitude of layers concerning not only regulation of the power industry, but also security of energy supply, climate change, consumer needs and technical innovation. This textbook serves as an introduction to this distinctive field. For readers without much experience with the EU, the author provides a separate chapter which outlines the institutional structure and functioning of the European Union in the field of energy policy. Tables of key court decisions and key legislation, review questions and further reading lists ultimately help to give readers a lasting impression of one of the most vibrant fields of EU law and policy.

A critical overview of European Union energy law and policy, this book takes a law-in-context approach as it examines the development of EU energy law from the 1950s to the present day. It discusses the development of EU energy law; the application of general EU law into energy; the regulation of EU energy markets; international aspects of EU energy law; and policy, sustainability, and energy regulation. Presenting an up-to-date overview of EU energy law and policy and a critical analysis of its sub-areas, the book extends the discussion from electricity and natural gas markets to other areas of energy, including oil. This holistic approach to the subject is then placed within the broader context of the international geopolitical sphere which EU energy law and policy operates, as the author considers the impact of regional and international energy policies and markets on the EU markets and the overall EU policy. He also draws on the wider context and takes into account non-legal factors such as the impact of unconventionals, the rise of the BRICS, and the 'Arab spring'. The book frames EU energy law as a topic that can provoke intellectual, political, and professional discussion about the slowly moving train of economic regulation under the typical pressures and contradictions of countries and the European Union in the global economy.

Offers an innovative look at why science and technology cannot alone meet the needs of energy policy making in the future.