On April 24, CERRE’s energy, mobility and sustainability practice hosted a private breakfast with Research Fellow Catherine Banet to discuss her latest research on the concept of energy solidarity, its origins, and how it has evolved since 2021.
Moderated by Annika Brack, the discussion delved into the nuanced layers of energy solidarity, its legal mechanisms and enforceability. Banet highlighted the different stages of energy solidarity: from offering mutual crisis assistance to fostering a forward-looking approach to integrated European energy systems and the strategic pooling of resources. The European market was instrumental in responding to the 2022 supply crisis but much needs to be done. Cross-border infrastructure and market integration are instrumental in advancing and enforcing energy solidarity. Looking ahead to the next EU Commission mandate, the conversation therefore shifted towards optimising trade, streamlining permitting and planning rules to meet collective needs.
Banet also hinted at the critical balance between state sovereignty and mutual trust required to apply energy solidarity effectively, and participants raised the importance of public perception and political will. The discussion also touched on the potential expansion of energy solidarity mechanisms to renewable energy technologies.
Catherine Banet’s chapter on “Legal mechanisms to ensure energy solidarity in international and EU law” can be found and read in Cecilia Bailliet (ed.), Research Handbook on International Solidarity Law”, Edward Elgar, April 2024.