Territorial cooperation in Europe: challenges and opportunities for the EU energy governance

ooperation between European territorial authorities is a developing phenomenon which has reached a certain degree of harmonization through the instruments provided by the Council of Europe and the European Union. The Third Additional Protocol to the European Outline Convention concerning Euroregional Cooperation Groupings (ECGs), together with Regulation (EU) n. 1302/2013 amending Regulation (EC) n. 1082/2006 on European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs), provided new means to improve and institutionalize the governance of key sectors, such as the environment and energy, which require a combination of different and contrasting concerns as well as the involvement of all levels of government. The paper will explore the trends that characterize territorial cooperation in Europe, with particular regard to the means provided by the EU, and will point out their potential contribution in dealing with the main issues affecting current EU energy policy, especially as regards the European Commission’s attempt to shape a resilient European Energy Union