Multi-Criteria Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Implementation of Energy Policies in the European Union-27 Member States

Energy independence and climate neutrality are fundamental goals of European Union (EU) economic policy. Achieving these goals requires considerable determination from all member states and public consent to the changes being made. This paper addresses these pressing and extremely important issues. The aim of the research was to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of energy policies in the EU-27 countries. This assessment is crucial, as these policies and their outcomes are key to achieving both goals. To conduct this assessment, a research methodology based on a multidimensional approach to problem-solving under uncertain conditions was developed. The research employed a set of 13 selected indicators and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods, including combinative distance-based assessment (CODAS), technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), and viekriterijumsko kompromisno rangiranje (VIKOR), as well as the Hurwicz criterion. To determine the weights of the indicators, methods such as criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC), statistical variance, equal weighting, and Laplace's criterion were used. Based on the determined values of the energy policy implementation efficiency index (IEEPI) for 2013-2022 for the countries studied, rankings were established. These rankings allowed for a comparison of the levels achieved by these countries in 2013 and 2022. The results indicated that Sweden and Finland achieved the best outcomes, while Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, and Cyprus performed the weakest. Additionally, an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the EU-27 energy policy was conducted based on the values of the indices of the dynamics of changes in the indicators, resulting in the IEEPI-DCI (dynamics of changes of indicators) index. This new approach provided an additional assessment of the changes that occurred in the EU countries over the study period relative to the base year. In this context, Malta and Estonia, as well as Slovenia and Hungary, showed the most progress, while Lithuania, Croatia, Denmark, and Austria showed the least. Both research approaches provided opportunities to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of energy policies in the EU-27 countries. These findings should inform the development of strategies for economic development, energy security, and independence. The current geopolitical situation in Europe and the challenges in implementing the European Green Deal highlight the need for a new approach to the EU's common climate and energy policy. The results of this research should contribute to discussions about its future directions.