This essay analyzes external energy policy as a product of institutional dynamics within the EU. The Commission treats energy purely as a commodity and chooses a market approach to shape energy policy. The Council could add the geopolitical dimension to EU external energy security but lacks uni states. While there are regions where the external market approach makes sense (e.g. Western Balkans), it is a tall order to expect this approach to address EU enthe success stories in mixture between the two approaches was active U.S. engagement in building the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. The project’s success has implications for European external energy policy-making, especially for projects in the Caspian region. Please click here to read the text in full