The path of EU’s energy policy in the context of the eastern enlargement

Abstract

The potential implications of widening on deepening have been a central concern for
EU scholars and observers alike. Nevertheless, the academic literature is lacking a
historical perspective on the impact of enlargement on the evolution of EU’s policies.
This thesis aims to address this lacuna by examining how the eastern enlargement
has impacted the evolution of EU’s energy policy.
The research focuses on the 2004 and 2007 enlargements and understands energy
policy from the perspective of policy content, bureaucratic organizations, policy
practices and scope of policy. Drawing on a historical institutionalist approach, the
thesis will focus on the interaction between institutions and preferences, exploring the
roles of path dependency, critical junctures unintended consequences and learning.
In a timeframe which includes pre-accession, accession and post-accession the study
will trace the process by which enlargement impacts the evolution of the policy through
documentary analysis and interviews.

Date of Award	18 Mar 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Ana E Juncos (Supervisor) & Michelle Cini (Supervisor)