Nord Stream 2 project debate in light of the three pillars of the EU energy policy: security of supply, competitiveness and sustainability

Abstract: Energy and its policy has been a priority for the EU since its establishment. The EU indicates the competitiveness, sustainability and security of supply to be the core pillars of energy policy, which guide energy projects and their implementations in the EU territory. Nonetheless, disagreements and different opinions on the natural gas transmission pipeline Nord Stream 2 reveal that the solidarity in terms of energy policy is not apparent. Hence, the purpose of this study is to reveal how the framings of the project are constructed by the most vocal actors - the EU institutions, Germany, Poland and Russia – in order to indicate implications of the frames to the future of the project and the EUenergy policy. The purpose of the study is achieved by adopting energy security concept as theoretical lens and frame analysis as a primary method of research. The study reveals that the actors frame the project in terms of energy security dimensions and energy security logics. The study concludes that the actors prioritize security of supply pillar to the largest extent and thus it poses complications to attain a currently core element of the EU energy policy – sustainability, and implement the NS2 project due to the lack of solidarity among actors.