Cette thèse étudie le système énergétique de 4 États : L’Albanie, le Kosovo, la Macédoine, la Serbie, appartenant aux Balkans occidentaux. Ils possèdent peu de ressources, les infrastructures restent souvent anciennes. Mais, avec l’instauration des grands projets gaziers internationaux, cet espace deviendra une zone transitaire essentielle, entre les pays producteurs gaziers (Asie centrale, la Russie, la Méditerranée orientale et le Moyen-Orient) et l’Europe occidentale. Les rapports de force y règnent pourtant. Ils sont liés à la sécurité énergétique et aux affrontements passés ou récents, mal stabilisés. La confrontation géoéconomique l’emporte sur la coopération technique. Des acteurs extérieurs, d’abord la Russie et l’Union européenne, mais aussi la Chine, la Turquie et les États-Unis, interviennent. L’énergie est un enjeu régional et mondial ; il renvoie au registre de la puissance. / This thesis studies the energy sectors of 4 countries part of the Western Balkans: Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia. These countries are relatively poor in energy resources and their energy infrastructure is outdated and in dire need of modernization. However, in view of the colossal natural gas projects between Western Europe and gas-rich countries in the east, this area is emerging as an important transit area between the Russian Federation, former Soviet Union countries and eventually other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. This reflects the evolving balance of power in the Western Balkans, which is shaped by their quest for energy security and the heritage of previous unresolved conflicts. As a result, geoeconomic competition trumps over cooperation. Moreover, external powers, first and foremost, the European Union and Russia, but also Turkey, the United States and China, intervene to safeguard their interests. Hence, energy is a crucial regional and world issue; and an important factor of power.

In this paper I investigate the energy cooperation between the EU and Russia from the political and economic points of view. The relevance of the issue is due to the growing role of energy sector, the need for security of energy supply and demand and for political and economic balance of power in the region, and closer economic integration. Two theoretical approaches, geopolitical and bureaucratic, guiding the research, explain the behavior of protagonists. To better understand the present level of cooperation I analyze the background and dynamics of EU - Russia energy trade relations. As a case study, I investigate the Nord Stream project as an example of successful cooperation of Germany as an EU member state and Russia in this field. I discuss challenges for the healthy mutual partnership in the energy sector, namely, high politicization of the issue, monopolization of Russian energy sector and low sustainability of Russian economic development, and mistrust between the protagonists. I attempt to identify possible policy changes aimed to improve this cooperation and achieve fruitful partnership, security and stability. Key words: Russia, EU, energy, cooperation, Realpolitik, international relations, oil, gas, energy dialogue, ECT, security, balance of power, geopolitics, interest groups,...

本文的研究目的第一是釐清能源在國際關係領域的相關議題：能源安全、能源地緣政治與對外能源政策等子議題的異同，從概念演變到局勢發展，以及個別國家的政策與成效；第二點是耙梳、彙整冷戰結束後，俄羅斯與歐洲（包括歐洲各國與歐洲聯盟）奠基於能源資源貿易關係上面一層的互賴關係，以及潛在的不穩定與衝突因素，藉由理解這個雙邊關係的發展與其未來的可能性，得以提供可能的預測與參考價值。 首先第一章是緒論，目的是解釋本文的章節架構；在第二章解釋能源安全理論與俄羅斯能源產業發展狀況；在第三章則以俄羅斯的角度看待它與前共產陣營國家之間的互動關係。第四章的主要內容則是以歐盟的角度出發，檢視歐盟與外方伙伴的互動協商過程。第五章的總結則評估雙方在能源與對外政策立場上的各自立場作為本文的結束。國家與國營能源公司是本文中最基本且主要的行為者，藉由評估他們在未來的發展方向，以及回顧過往的政策（能源政策與對外政策）成效與互動過程做為總結。 本文研究發現，鋪設能源管線、購買基礎設施的產權、以及開放油氣探勘權限等商業行為，在國家與國際組織的層級上成為地緣政治的槓桿，其結果是歐洲與歐亞大陸的能源市場整合成為一體，並在能源地緣政治上產生兩極對立體系。