Economics vs geopolitics? Nord Stream 2, Ukraine and Europe’s energy security

The United States Mission to the European Union and the Wilfried Martens Centre for EU studies have the pleasure to invite you to their joint event on 20th March. 

The following months might prove decisive for the fate of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Its proponents argue that the doubled gas capacity would contribute to lower gas prices for Western European industry and households at a time when Europe is facing declining domestic production. However, the Gazprom-led project is receiving serious criticism from a number of governments as well as Civil Society which see Nord Stream 2 as a direct risk for the energy security in the region with destabilizing geopolitical consequences. 

Is the pipeline ‘just a business project’ or an additional tool to reinforce dependency on Gazprom and to further undermine the EU`s efforts for diversification of supply? Should the European institutions have a stronger role in the project between Berlin and Moscow? Would a diversification to liquified natural gas help?