The former-Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan has attracted a notable degree of attention amongst the international investor community due to the impressive potential of its hydrocarbons sector. The country’s vast (and still largely untapped) oil and gas fields, located in the strategically important Caspian Sea basin, provide the source for major energy transport arteries such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. Future energy transport projects of strategic relevance to the European Union...

Following approval by the European Parliament, the European Council today appointed the new European Commission for the period from 10 February 2010 to 31 October 2014. The Council also appointed Mr.Günther Oettinger to replace Mr.Andris Piebalgs as the Energy Commissioner. Please, see the full list of the new Commission Members.

In October 2008, an audit by the British company Gaffney, Cline and Associates - GCA propelled Turkmenistan to the rank of the world’s second largest gas producer. This revelation confirmed the assertions of Saparmurad Niazov, the grotesque Turkmenbashy – Father of all the Turkmens – who, from 1985 until his death in December 2006, reigned over his country without sharing power. Less than a year later, two publications which appeared this past September, sow confusion among international energy experts and raise many questions. These two papers, one – an article written by Arkady Dubnov for the Russian newspaper Vremya Novosteï and the other – a report by the German NGO, the Eurasian Transition Group (ETG), - cast doubt on the estimations made public in October 2008.

Arkady Dubnov relies on information gleaned from Russian officials, while it is a Turkmen source behind the ETG pieced. In summation, they lead us to understand that the Turkmen authorities misled the managers of GCA by providing them with manipulated and falsified data. Disinformation or truth? At present, it is difficult to say. Nonetheless, one cannot really avoid wondering about a certain number of questions surrounding this polemic over resources, real or supposed, of Turkmenistan. This constitutes a new episode in the struggle in which the great powers are engaging for control and exploitation of the formidable energy resources of Central Asia.

The Baseline scenario finalised in November 2007 gives an update of the previous trend scenarios, such as the “Trends to 2030” published in 2003 and its 2005 update. The new Baseline scenario takes into account the high energy import price environment of recent years, sustained economic growth and new policies and measures implemented in the Member-States.

 When Joschka Fischer's lucrative new job as the "political communications advisor" to a consortium of European energy companies was leaked to a German business publication this summer, there was one comment that stood out. "Welcome to the club," said Gerhard Schröder, an even more highly paid advocate for the other side in Europe's increasingly politicized energy war.