Energy and competitiveness of the EU economy
View/
Keywords
EU competitiveness ; Energy ; Energy transition ; Draghi ; Letta ; Competitiveness compassAbstract
This thesis examines the complex relationship between the energy transition of the European Union and the competitiveness of its economy in an increasingly adversarial global environment. While the European Union remains one of the world’s largest and most advanced economic blocs, recent analyses and policy reports have highlighted a growing competitiveness gap vis-à-vis major global competitors, particularly the United States and China. Against this backdrop, the EU’s ambitious climate and energy policies—aimed at achieving climate neutrality and leading the global green transition—have emerged as both a potential constraint and a strategic opportunity for long-term economic growth.
The thesis first establishes and analyses the nature of the EU’s competitiveness challenge, drawing on recent authoritative literature, including the Letta and Draghi Reports, as well as analyses by international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the European Investment Bank, and the European Commission. It identifies key structural weaknesses of the EU economy, including lower productivity growth, incomplete Single Market integration, limited innovation scale-up, demographic constraints, regulatory complexity, and high and volatile energy costs. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the energy sector and climate policies as a critical determinant of industrial performance and international competitiveness.
Subsequently, the thesis explores how specific EU energy and climate policies—such as the Emissions Trading System, the European Green Deal framework, and the structure of European energy markets—affect production costs, investment decisions, and the global positioning of EU-based industries. It then examines the policy instruments designed to mitigate these negative effects, including carbon leakage safeguards, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, public financing instruments, and state aid frameworks.
Finally, the thesis evaluates emerging strategic initiatives, such as the Competitiveness Compass, the Clean Industrial Deal, the Net-Zero Industry Act, and related measures, assessing their potential to transform the energy transition from a competitiveness liability into a source of comparative advantage. The thesis concludes that while the energy transition poses significant short-term challenges to the EU’s economic competitiveness, its successful alignment with industrial, innovation, and investment policies could enable the European Union to reinforce its global economic leadership in the long term.
Postgraduate Studies Programme
Energy: Strategy, Law & EconomicsDepartment
Σχολή Οικονομικών, Επιχειρηματικών και Διεθνών Σπουδών. Τμήμα Διεθνών και Ευρωπαϊκών ΣπουδώνNumber of pages
81Language
EnglishCollections
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as
Αναφορά Δημιουργού-Όχι Παράγωγα Έργα 3.0 Ελλάδα
Αναφορά Δημιουργού-Όχι Παράγωγα Έργα 3.0 Ελλάδα