The course aims at presenting a comprehensive analysis of the issues of energy, environment and European policy from a strong multidisciplinary perspective, as this new course encompasses three different disciplines (energy economics, environmental economics and history of international relations).
Main references for the first module:
1. C. Egenhofer and L. Grigoriev, “European Energy Security. What should it mean?”,ESF Working Paper n. 23, 2006. (http://www.ceps.eu/book/european-energy-security-what-should-it-mean-what-do) pag. 4-25
2. Mané-Estrada, “European Energy Security: Towards the creation of the geoenergy space”,Paper presented at the 6th Mediterranean Research Meeting of the Mediterranean Programme at the European University Institute, March 2005. (http://www.scpol.unifi.it/index.php?module=ofform&mode=1&cmd=3&AA=2011&fac=200011&cds=B087&pds=C98&afId=299747&lan=0&ord=T&doc=3f2a3d303b2c2a)
3. Takin and Williams, “Geo-Politics of Euro-Asian Energy Nexus”, London, 2010,only pp. 13-57.
Main references for the second module: Bhattacharyya S.C. (2011), Energy Economics: Concepts, Issues, Markets and Governance, Springer. Chapters: 2,3 (pages 57-65 excluded),4 (pages 93-101 excluded),8,11,12.
ECB (2010), “Energy markets and the Euro area macroeconomy”, Occasional Paper Series, n.113, June 2010.
Main reference for the third module: Perman et al. Natural resource and environmental economics, Addison Wesley, 4th edition. Chapters: 1 (excluding 1.4),2,5 (excluding 5.8,5.9,5.10,5.11, 5.12, 5.14), 6 (excluding 6.5 and all subparagraphs),9.
Course materials and reading lists are on Moodle course page.
Learning Objectives
Identify and discuss the main historical developments in international relations between energy producer and importer countries. Explain and apply the key concepts and model of energy and environmental economics. Examine the European Energy and Environmental policies.
Prerequisites
microeconomics, macroeconomics
Teaching Methods
Lectures and seminars. Teachers and scholars from other Italian and/or foreign universities, such as Russian and Turkish, will be invited to give lectures on specific topics, relevant for the course.
The course uses Moodle e-learning platform where handouts, slides and research materials will be available for all students.
Further information
This course benefits of financial support by the Lifelong Learning Programme - Jean Monnet Module.
Type of Assessment
The exam is written(in English)with 6 open questions (2 for each module).
Course program
The course is divided into three modules.
First module:
- A broad historical appraisal (1850-2010): from steam to oil. Changes in the global energy consumption patterns)
- Oil as a new gold rush: the United States, Russia and the Middle East, 1890-1945
- An increasing energy dependency for Europe (1945-1974)
- Oil crisis in the Seventies: inflation, welfare state and less developed countries debt.
- A first European response: diversification of sources and suppliers, nuclear power generation
- European dependency on non-member countries supply: how much this affects EU external relations?
Second module:
- Energy sector characteristics
- Basic economics of energy production/supply
- Energy demand: models for households and firms
- Markets, infrastructures prices and regulation in Europe
- Energy markets in international arena: oil and gas as a case-study
- The European Policy: completing the single market (liberalization, authorities and prices)
The third module:
- The environmental approach (the tragedy of commons; renewable and non renewable resources, resources and sustainability definition)
- External cost of different energy sources: health and climate change issues
- Renewable resources: markets and potentiality
- Environmental policy instruments to promote energy efficiency: taxation, ETS, feed-in tariffs and subsidies