The Baltic Ring and BEMIP initiatives and their role in the energy security of Baltic states

The following paper treats about the initiatives of Baltic Ring and the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP). Their main purpose is to integrate the electric grid in the states located at the Baltic coast and to eliminate barriers in transmission of electricity between them. This goal is notably difficult to achieve because of three different systems of grid functioning in the Baltic region - the Nordel system connecting Norway, Sweden and Finland, the IPS/UPS system common for all the post-soviet countries including Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and the European system used by most countries of European Union. While the Baltic Ring at the moment of its creation was meant to be a plane for cooperation around the coastline of Baltic Sea, its noble objectives did not survive in the XXI century. The new incarnation of Baltic Ring, called Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan, does not even declare any will to cooperate with Russia nor Belarus. Its far-reaching goal is to desynchronize the electric grid of Baltic states with the IPS/UPS system and to connect tchem with the continental Europe. This plan is strongly supported by European Union and criticized by Russia. The main purpose of the following paper is to define the role of the European Union’s energy policy in relations between Russia and the Baltic states. The European strategy for limiting Russia’s influence is clearly visible in the area of electricity transmission. The Baltic states remain the most sensitive EU countries affected by that kind of influence, so that the BEMIP plan is focused mainly on enhancing their energy security.