Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 01/2011

Russia-EU cooperation on energy efficiency: Enthusiasm and challenges ahead

Vadim Kononenko

November 2010

Finnish Institute for International Affairs

Abstract

The adoption of the new energy efficiency legislation in Russia in 2009 has led to anticipation that a new exciting avenue of cooperation is about to open up in Russia-EU relations. The EU has been called upon to support the Russian initiatives as they would make its energy relations with Russia more stable. Furthermore, because both Russia and the EU are working towards the same goal of making their respective economies more energy efficient, the two are natural partners. This partnership is often postulated in terms of transferring European investments and technologies to Russia’s emerging energy efficiency market.