Insights from Specific Policy Areas: Mapping the International and European Governance of Renewable Energy

Summary:

The aim of this article is to map the governance of renewable energy so as to identify gaps and overlaps and propose ways in which these gaps could be filled and overlaps eliminated. This article will look at the interplay between public international law and European Union (EU) law in the context of renewable sources of energy (renewables), the interconnection between these two legal regimes and how they influence each other.

Renewable energy comes from sustainable sources of energy, as opposed to conventional sources of energy. Renewable energies are available in infinite supply, as they have natural forces that continuously replenish them. Governance of renewable energy is fragmented, with selective membership, and guided by state interests. This hinders transnational energy flows.

The article argues that effective renewable energy governance at the international and European level has become a major challenge of public international law and EU law due to the fragmentation of the system and the proliferation of institutions.

Further information:

This article is part of the Special Issue: EU Law and Public International Law: Co-implication, Embeddedness and Interdependency.