Intergovernmental energy agreements


​When individual EU countries negotiate energy agreements with non-EU countries, they must ensure that these agreements comply with EU law. This helps ensure the smooth functioning of the EU's internal energy market.

Information exchange mechanism

To help facilitate coordination between EU countries vis-à-vis non-EU countries, and to ensure that EU law is respected, the EU established, as of January 2012, an Information exchange mechanism with the Decision (EU) 2017/648.

Here the key points:  
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  • The Decision mainly covers legally binding agreements between an EU country and a non-EU country (or international organisation) concerning the purchase, trade, sale, transit, storage or supply of energy in or to an EU country or involving any energy infrastructure within the EU.
  • When starting such negotiations, EU countries must inform the Commission as early as possible before they begin and keep the Commission regularly informed on progress through a dedicated web-based application.
  • Before finalising an intergovernmental agreement or amendment, the EU country concerned must take ‘utmost account’ of the Commission’s opinion on the compatibility of the agreement with EU law.
  • Following ratification of any energy agreement, the EU country must notify the Commission, including the reasons for any departure from the Commission’s legal opinion.
  • EU countries may optionally notify non-binding instruments to the Commission. These are arrangements which are not legally binding, typically memoranda of understanding, joint declarations, or joint codes of conduct, which set out prices, for example, or the development of infrastructure.
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Partners

International organisations and initiatives

  • Energy Community
​​The Energy Community is an international organisation consisting of the EU, represented by the European Commission, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Kosovo*. Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine are known as the contracting parties. The Energy Community treaty was signed in 2006. Armenia, Norway, and Turkey act as observers to the treaty.
Energy Community website
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  • OPEC - ​Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OPEC coordinates the oil policies of its 12 members – Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. The EU imports around 40% of its oil from OPEC members
OPEC website
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  • Gulf Cooperation Council
​The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) brings together six Arab countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – to further political and economic integration amongst them. The GCC launched for example a common market in 2008 and a patent office in 1992.
GCC website
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  • Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation 
​The Commission, on behalf of the EU, is part of the high-level global forum Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and Mission Innovation (MI). The Clean Energy Ministerial works to promote policies and programs that advance clean energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices and encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy.
Clean Energy Ministerial website
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  • IRENA - International Renewable Energy Agency
​IRENA is an intergovernmental organisation that was founded in 2009 to support the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.IRENA has almost 160 countries that are full Members with an additional 24 states that are in various stages of accession. The EU is one of the founding members and participates in the different activities of IRENA's work programme.
IRENA website
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  • ISA - International Solar Alliance
​The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and was launched on 30 November 2015 by India and France to implement the Paris Agreement. To date, the ISA framework agreement has been signed by 86 countries.
International Solar Alliance website
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  • IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
​The IAEA promotes the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear energy around the world. The EU is a major contributor to the IAEA's work, both in terms of financing and technical expertise. The European Commission’s support to the IAEA focuses particularly on nuclear safety and technical cooperation.
International Atomic Energy Agency website

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  • G7 and G20
The EU is a full member of the group of seven (G7) and group of twenty (G20), two international forums that gather the most advanced economies in the world.
Finance ministers and central bank governors typically attend the forums, but there are also dedicated energy ministerial forums in which the EU promotes its energy priorities, including the clean energy transition, technological innovation and access to sustainable modern energy as well as open, transparent and flexible energy markets. 
G20 website


  • IEA - International Energy Agency
​​The International Energy Agency (IEA) was set up in the wake of the 1973-74 oil crisis to help member countries respond to major oil shocks. Since then, the IEA's work has expanded to cover overall energy security, economic development, and clean energy.
Currently, the IEA consists of 30 member countries and the EU fully participates in its work through IEA Governing Board meetings, as well as in the work of IEA committees.
The EU also participates in IEA technology collaboration platforms where countries and organisations work together on energy research and technology.
Eurostat works with the IEA and other international organisations in the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI) – a global initiative to collect accurate and transparent oil and gas statistics.
IEA website

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  • Energy Charter
​​There are currently 53 signatories and contracting parties to the Energy Charter Treaty,  including both the European Union and Euratom. The treaty was signed in 1994 and entered into force in April 1998.
The treaty provides a multilateral framework for energy cooperation that is unique under international law. It is designed to promote energy security through the operation of more open and competitive energy markets, while respecting the principles of sustainable development and sovereignty over energy resources. It also established the Energy Charter Conference an inter-governmental organisation, which meets on a regular basis to discuss issues affecting energy cooperation.
In addition to the Energy Charter Conference, the International Energy Charter promotes mutually beneficial energy cooperation among nations deriving from all continents for the sake of energy security and sustainability.
Energy Charter website