Pouring Oil on the Flames:
How European Energy Demand Drives Intrastate Conflict Abroad
The EU imports 54% of its energy needs. This is set to rise to 67% by 2030. EU countries are especially dependent on foreign oil. At present the EU imports 84% of the oil it consumes. This figure is projected to rise to 95% by 2030, with a substantially increased share of this oil coming from the Persian Gulf region. Many of the countries from which EU Member States buy oil are dictatorships with terrible human rights records. Furthermore, a number of oil exporting countries supplying the EU are riven with internal violent conflicts which are often exacerbated and to some extent generated by the way in which the oil industry and revenues from it are managed. Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Angola for instance are all major oil exporters to the EU and all have suffered a history of internal conflict driven by oil.
What responsibilities do EU governments, energy industries and consumers have in this context? Can a situation where European money and energy industry investment contribute towards violent conflict ever be considered consistent with a commitment to human rights and sustainable development? What can the EU, Member States and consumers do to change this situation?
