European Union Energy Union as a Mechanism for Legal Regulation of the Internal Electricity Market Development

Abstract

In international relations, a union is traditionally understood as an association, cooperation of subjects of international law. In this paper, the European Energy Union is considered not as a new union of states, but as a mechanism for legal regulation of the development of the European Union internal electricity market. In accordance with the European Union acts, the Energy Union is a strategy that defines the mechanisms of legal regulation and goals for climate neutrality. At the same time, these mechanisms do not imply the unification of the national legislation of the European Union member States. The paper considers the specifics of the Energy Union strategy implementation in two directions: legal regulation within the framework of the formation and functioning of the European Union internal electricity market and the creation of a system for planning, monitoring and managing the reform of the European Union internal electricity market. The paper analyzes the background and objectives of the European Union's internal electricity market reform, including the European Union's 2030 Energy and Climate Policy Framework and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The state of the European Union internal electricity market and energy infrastructure after the implementation of the documents of the “third energy package” and the prospects for reform of the internal electricity market of the European Union are considered, and an assessment of the effectiveness of the “fourth energy package” of the European Union is provided.