The European Union began as a coal community but has failed to put together a common energy policy. The latest dispute between Russia and Ukraine has once again exposed the need for such a policy with several EU member states struggling to cope with the interruption of Russian gas supplies in a particularly cold winter spell.

Yet the crisis – as a study by the Centre of European Reform concludes – could be doing Europe a favour by providing the catalyst to establish an integrated internal European gas market and other common measures to enhance EU energy security.