THE CONCEPT OF ENERGY SECURITY OF THE STATE (EXPERIENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND)

Abstract

A country’s energy security is one of the most important aspects of the economy and is closely linked to its functioning, largely depending on the stable supply of energy resources. Today, ensuring energy security has become one of the key challenges facing both Ukraine and other states. The armed aggression of the Russian Federation has triggered a crisis not only in the global energy market but also in national economic systems as a whole. This challenge is further complicated by the fact that the current state of affairs arose as a result of the criminal activities of the occupying power, the consequences of which have effectively divided the international community into two camps. Russia’s aggression has undeniably confirmed the importance of the energy sector and related industries for the economic independence not only of Ukraine, but of Europe as a whole. Hostilities that have been ongoing for the fourth consecutive year have forced public authorities to revise the energy strategy, placing emphasis on the security component and on adapting countermeasures to present-day conditions. Such changes have occurred not only in Ukraine but also in other states, where new challenges and risks have required timely responses. In view of the above, it appears appropriate to analyze the conceptual framework of the phenomenon of energy security. These considerations arise from the emergence of new threats in the field under study and, consequently, from the expansion of this category through the inclusion of additional characteristics in its content. Establishing a clear and comprehensive set of elements that form the concept of “energy security” will contribute to improving the provisions of state strategy aimed at ensuring an appropriate level of national security. This is of particular importance with regard to the application of criminal-law protection mechanisms that provide for criminal liability for committing socially dangerous acts in the field under consideration. Each identified element or characteristic that forms the structure of energy security will be regarded as a separate object of criminal encroachment included in the elements of a specific criminal offense. In this way, it becomes possible not only to identify and systematize criminal-law provisions that ensure protection in the sphere of energy security, but also to improve them or even to propose the adoption of new protective instruments.