EUROPEAN BUSINESS ASSIGNEMENT 1st SUBJECT Article 1) McGowan, F., Can the European Union’s Market Liberalism Ensure Energy Security in a Time of ‘Economic Nationalism’, Journal of Contemporary European Research, 2008, Volume 4 Issue 2, pp 90-106 Questions: What is meant by market liberalization? (20 marks) For what reasons has energy been an integral part of EU policy since the beginning of post-war European integration? (20 marks) Evaluate the strategies adopted by the EU to improve security of energy supplies. (30marks) Discuss how ‘economic nationalism ‘might reduce the effectiveness of EU liberalization both within the member states and with their energy supplier. (30 marks) The market liberalisation is a trend since the 1980’s. Given the EU’s competences, the European Commission has been able to play a more active role in energy policy making. So the first of July 2006, the European Energy Community Treaty entered into force. It was signed in Athens in 2005. The different contracting parties are agreeing to open their market and also to set up some regulatory structures common to themselves. Thus market liberalisation means the fact that every citizen or company can buy its energy to the supplier it wants. Since July 2007 for example in France, all the consumers are free to choose their suppliers in gas and electricity. The market liberalization’s aims: to unify the European energy market, to increase the competitiveness of EU energy’s companies against international competitors and to give a benefit to the consumer (private or professional) to have lower prices from his suppliers because of the free market competition Energy since the beginning of post war was the link between the western countries of Europe. The European Coal and Steel Community and the EURATOM treaty were made to unify western Europe during the cold war.Both were signed in 1957 at the treaty of...