The European Union (EU)

General Information

· The European Union (EU), with its administrative headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, was established by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on 1 November 1993.

· The EU comprises 27 European Member States and coordinates their common economic, social, and security policies.

· Since December 2024, Ursula von der Leyen has served as the President of the European Commission.

· The legal framework governing the comprehensive relationship between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union is the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Azerbaijan, of the other part, signed in Luxembourg on 22 April 1996 and entered into force on 1 July 1999. The Agreement provides the foundation for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU across all areas of mutual interest, particularly in the political and economic spheres.

Energy Cooperation with Azerbaijan

Key energy documents signed between Azerbaijan and the European Union

-Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan, signed on 7 November 2006;

-Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the Southern Gas Corridor, signed on 13 January 2011;

-Protocol of Intent on the Establishment of the Southern Gas Corridor Working Group between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union, signed on 13 January 2011

On 4 February 2022, during the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the former European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson agreed to establish a new Energy Dialogue between the European Union and Azerbaijan.

Topics covered under the Azerbaijan-EU Energy Dialogue

· Expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor;

· Decarbonisation, energy transition, and renewable energy;

· Energy efficiency;

· Electricity;

· Hydrogen;

· Other technologies.

To date, three meetings of the Azerbaijan–EU Energy Dialogue have been held: First Meeting - 18 July 2022 (Baku) second Meeting - 2 May 2023 (Brussels), third Meeting – 13 June 2025 (Brussels).

The co-chairs of the Azerbaijan-EU Energy Dialogue are the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing.

On 18 July 2022, within the framework of the first meeting of the Azerbaijan-EU Energy Dialogue, the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the field of energy between the European Union, represented by the European Commission, and the Republic of Azerbaijan was signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) and natural gas supply to Europe

Azerbaijan is a reliable energy partner providing uninterrupted gas supply to Europe and continuously increasing exports. Azerbaijan, which has been supplying gas to Europe since 2020, already exports natural gas to 16 countries, 10 of which are members of the European Union. Natural gas exports to Europe amounted to 8.2 bcm in 2021, 11.4 bcm in 2022, 11.9 bcm in 2023, 13.0 bcm in 2024, 12.8 bcm in 2025.  

Crude oil exports to Europe

The European Union remains the principal destination for Azerbaijan's crude oil exports, with export volumes continuing to grow. In 2024, Azerbaijan exported 18.5 million tonnes of crude oil to the EU, accounting for 78.5% of its total crude oil exports. In 2025, crude oil exports to the EU exceeded 21.1 million tonnes, representing 90.2% of Azerbaijan's total crude oil exports. Italy remains Azerbaijan's largest export market for crude oil, followed by the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Romania, and Portugal. These figures underscore the EU's growing role as the primary destination for Azerbaijan's crude oil exports.

Regional projects

Caspian–Black Sea–Europe Green Energy Corridor (Participating countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary)

On 17 December 2022, in Bucharest, Romania, the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary was signed in the presence of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. 

In September 2024, the Green Energy Corridor Power Company (GECO Power Company) was established in Bucharest with the participation of the transmission system operators of the four participating countries to oversee the implementation and management of the project.