20 January, 2026
Europe’s energy system has become one of the most contested security issues of the past three years — reshaping how NATO and the European Union define risk, responsibility, and resilience.
In this January edition of The Briefing Room: Young Minds, Big Ideas, RAUSI welcomes Dimitar Atanasov, a PhD candidate at CEI-ISCTE University in Lisbon, to present research from a paper currently under review at an academic journal.
Building on his Master’s thesis and recent policy analysis, Dimitar examines how energy security shifted from an economic concern to a strategic security issue following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. His research explores:
- How NATO and the EU each framed energy as a security threat between 2022–2024
- Why both institutions responded differently — and with different tools
- Which organization now carries greater responsibility for safeguarding Europe’s energy security
This discussion will resonate strongly in Canada, where energy systems, global markets, and national security intersect daily, and it aligns closely with RAUSI’s ongoing work on national security strategy and allied resilience.
Europe's Energy Security
What NATO and the EU are Really Protecting
Dimitar Atanasov
Watch Presentation Video
Drawing on securitization theory and qualitative analysis of official documents, speeches, and strategic communications from 2022–2024, Dimitar explores how energy shifted from an economic concern to an existential security issue. He compares the EU’s broad, multi-sector approach — spanning markets, infrastructure, and long-term transition — with NATO’s focus on resilience, critical infrastructure protection, and military readiness.
The discussion also touches on:
- Pipeline sabotage and attacks on undersea infrastructure
- EU initiatives such as REPowerEU and the Strategic Compass
- NATO’s Strategic Concept and hybrid threat framing
- The implications of energy dependence, diversification, and resilience
- What these debates mean for allies, including Canada
Dimitar Atanasov is a PhD candidate at ISCTE-IUL University in Lisbon, Portugal. He holds a Master’s degree in International Studies with a focus on energy security, and his current research examines EU–Russia relations in the post-2022 security environment.