The European Commission Against Gazprom: The Geo-Economic Conflict Over the Gas Market Regime in Europe

The aim of this article is to explain the reasons behind the conflict between the European Commission and Russia over the gas market regime in Europe. Using a geo-economic approach, it identifies the different and contradictory interests of the main actors in EU-Russia gas relations and how they influence this relationship. The analysis shows that attempts to improve their respective geo-economic position in the European Union and appropriate resource rent led to the fragmentation of the supply chain. Any cooperation between Russia and the European Union is complicated by the contradiction between the various actors' interests.