A Dummy’s Guide to Forming an Energy Union

In launching the idea of an “Energy Union,” Warsaw managed to leave its mark on the European Commission’s May 2014 Communication on Energy Security. Compared to 2006, when Warsaw advocated a similar package of measures, this breakthrough is a mark of Poland’s growing influence in the EU and a sign of its capacity to navigate the increasingly complex decision-making processes in Brussels. Yet, there is still a long way to go if it wants to ensure these ideas are acted upon. In this context, it may actually be a useful exercise to reduce the process of selling the Energy Union to the basics and work out how various aspects of the Polish proposal could be promoted by different political channels.