F1IE 4445 - Designing Energy Policy in Europe

The EU energy and climate policy is implemented through different legal procedures (e.g. legislative acts, Commission decisions, impact assessments, sanctions).

The course will go through these different forms first by going through their objectives and requirements as in the EU Treaty and secondary law.

As a second step, the course will use concrete policy examples to deepen the understanding of the procedures and the challenges thereof, be these technical or political in nature. The policy case studies include the Green Deal package with a focus on the Directive on renewable energy and simplification omnibuses, electricity and gas network infrastructure planning and implementation, state aid approvals and sanctions and complaints.

The challenges covered in the case studies include decision-making under the energy crisis, the shift in the political majorities in the European Parliament and Member States, geopolitical risks.

At the end of the course the students will understand how the EU’s energy policy is designed and implemented, who are the players in the process, how the different stakeholders participate or may influence the outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding of the EU’s policy and decision-making processes in the energy and climate policy
• Knowledge of the different roles of the policy and decision-makers (Commission, European Parliament, Council, individual Member States, non-EU countries, energy companies, stakeholders) in the different processes.
• Overview of the challenges underpinning the different processes (political, technical)
• A deep-dive into some policy areas like renewable energy, energy network infrastructure, state aid in the energy crisis, simplification omnibus

Professional Skills Developed:

Impact assessment and policy drafting in EU style.

Stakeholder analysis and negotiation awareness.

Strategic communication (oral and written).

Applied policy analysis under institutional, political, and technical constraints.

• In‑Class Simulation – Mini Impact Assessment (40%) Students, in small groups, act as DG Energy units preparing a short impact assessment for a proposed directive. They outline objectives, policy options, and expected impacts, then present their findings. This mirrors the Commission’s practice
• Final Written Assignment – Policy Brief / Case Study Analysis (50%) Individually, students draft a concise policy brief or impact assessment report (max 2,500 words) on a chosen EU energy policy case (e.g., renewable directive, state aid approval). This replicates the Commission’s style of concise, evidence‑based reporting.
• In class participation 10%

• In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 12 hours a semester