THE IMPАCT ОF ENERGY IMPОRT DEPENDENCY ОN АFFОRDАBLE АND RELIАBLE ENERGY АCCESS IN EURОPE

Abstract

Energy security and access to affordable energy are critical Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), directly linked to Sustainable Development Goal 7. This study examines the relationship between energy import dependency and the availability and reliability of energy through a comparative analysis of Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and eight selected European countries, grouped according to geographical proximity, EU candidate status, benchmark relevance, and extreme dependency levels. Using Eurostat data, the study applies descriptive statistical analysis, linear trend modelling, and Pearson correlation to examine the relationship between import dependency and key SDG 7 indicators, including the share of renewable energy, electricity prices, and energy poverty. The results reveal a strong negative correlation between energy import dependency and the share of renewable energy, confirming that countries with higher dependency tend to invest less in the energy transition. In this context, the situation of the Republic of Moldova represents a critical anomaly: a landlocked country that has reached dependency levels comparable to those of island states, while the share of renewable energy decreased from 26.17% to 20.76%. Romania, on the other hand, reduced its energy dependency from 31.65% to 30.36% and increased the share of renewable energy, placing it in a favourable position compared with the EU-27 average. The findings highlight the need to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy as a structural instrument for reducing import dependency and improving energy affordability, particularly for Moldova as an EU candidate country.