| Abstract [eng] |
The master's thesis ‘Lithuanian Energy Integration into the European Union: Analysis of the Reasons for Slow Policy Coordination’ examines the reasons for Lithuania's slow integration into the EU and seeks answers to the following key questions that arise when observing this process: why, despite many EU declarations, is progress in Lithuania's energy integration into the EU so slow? If the reason for the slowness of integration was the opposition of interest groups, why is it still happening? Accordingly, the following tasks were formulated: 1. Based on statistical analysis, to analyze the situation of the Lithuanian energy market and to review strategic Lithuanian projects in the field of energy; 2. To review and analyze the legal acts, strategies and other important documents adopted by the EU and Lithuania in the field of energy; 3. To identify strategic energy projects in the fields of gas and electricity that were important for Lithuania's integration into the EU, and to review the course of their implementation; 4. Using the approach of liberal intergovernmentalism, to analyze the formation of Lithuania's national preferences in the field of energy, to find out the influence of interest groups on the integration of Lithuania's energy policy into the EU. 5. Using security theory, to explain Lithuania's security priorities and their potential impact on the implementation of strategic energy projects. First, two theories that could help answer the above questions were discussed (liberal intergovernmentalism and securitization). Based on their theses, two hypotheses (H1 and H2) were formulated, which were tested in the empirical part. According to H1, the slow integration of Lithuanian energy into the EU was determined by the influence of interest groups. H2 says it has happened and is still happening due to security factors. In the empirical part, a descriptive case study of Lithuania was conducted, which is based on a qualitative case study of the integration of Lithuanian energy policy into the EU in 1994–2016. period. After testing both hypotheses, it was found that the collected information allows to confirm the first hypothesis (H1) only partially, because the collected information does not show a direct influence on decision-making. However, the information gathered suggests that stakeholders have had a significant impact on project implementation, leading to slow integration of energy policy. On the other hand, the second hypothesis was confirmed because the conditions for the security operation in Lithuania were appropriate - a significant increase in energy dependence on Russian energy resources, dominance of Gazprom and other energy companies in the gas market and Russia's gas conflict with Ukraine. All this increased Lithuania's sense of energy insecurity. Accordingly, political actors (Government, Presidency and their representatives) have been around since 2008-2009. has clearly expressed this threat in the context of security in its annual reports. They indicated the measures (strategic energy projects) to be implemented. They can also be considered as extraordinary and atypical measures for Lithuania, as new and very expensive energy projects were implemented in a short period of time, which are still mentioned in 1999. In the National Energy Strategy. All this meets the criteria of securitization theory. |
