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EU-Iraq energy co-operation: missing the point?
21/01/2009 By Edward Burke
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| Thys/AFP/Getty Images |
In a meeting last year with MEPs in Brussels, Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) to Iraq called the current lull in fighting the “magic moment” to build a democratic government in Iraq that uses its energy revenues transparently and efficiently. Europe would do well to heed his advice.
Iraq currently has the world’s third-largest petroleum reserves and the lowest reserve to production ratio of all major oil-producing countries. Its vast gas reserves remain largely untapped. The government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has frequently requested that an EU technical assistance mission should be sent to help build Iraqi capacity to manage its hydrocarbon resources.
To date however the EU has not adequately invested in providing bi-lateral technical assistance to improve the governance of Iraq’s energy sector. In this EDC2020 policy brief the author argues that developing capacity is essential to Iraq’s future stability and of obvious interest to a European market short of reliable supplies of oil and gas.
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Keywords
Democratic control Energy Energy Security EU European Union IraqRelated publications
- Europe and Iraq: from stand-off to engagement?
- Iraq and after: setting the scene for rethinking Europe's role in the Middle East
Bio author: Edward Burke
Political trends in the Persian Gulf region. Iraq. Yemen. Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia. Politics of energy in the Middle East.
