Structural Drivers of Energy Import Dependency and Fiscal Resilience: Evidence from the European Union

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.57017/jaes.v21.1(92).05

Author(s):

Maryna TATAR Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic
Jan BULECA Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics, Technical University of Košice, Košice, Slovak Republic

Abstract:

This study examines the structural drivers of energy import dependency among EU member states over the period 2015–2024, with a focus on how energy transition promotes long-term financial sustainability. As transitional and emerging economies within the EU face increasing pressure to decouple growth from fossil fuel imports, understanding the structural determinants of energy security is crucial for fiscal resilience. Drawing on energy security theory and demand–supply frameworks, the research employs panel data models to empirically assess the impact of energy intensity, renewable energy share, gross available energy, final energy consumption, and economic development on energy import dependency. The results reveal that the share of energy from renewable sources is the most robust and consistent factor reducing energy import dependency, confirming the role of renewables for reducing external vulnerability.

The paper demonstrates that lowering energy import dependency is not merely a security concern but a fundamental requirement for financial sustainability, as it reduces trade deficits and mitigates the impact of global price volatility on national budgets. The results provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers to prioritise energy-based structural reforms as a mechanism for achieving macroeconomic stability and institutional resilience in a changing global landscape.

Copyright© 2026 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the license CC-BY 4.0., which permits any further distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article’s History: Received 10th of January, 2026; Revised 31st of January, 2026; Accepted 6th of March, 2026; Available online: 30th of March, 2026. Published as article in the Volume XXI, Spring, Issue 2(92), March, 2026.

How to cite:

Tatar, M, & Buleca, J. (2026). Structural Drivers of Energy Import Dependency and Fiscal Resilience: Evidence from the European Union. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Volume XXI, Spring, 2(92), 469 – 493. https://doi.org/10.57017/jaes.v21.1(92).05

Acknowledgments/Funding: This work was supported by the EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia under Project No. 09I03-03-V01-00157.

Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are publicly available from the Eurostat Database at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database. All datasets used in the analysis are accessible without restriction. Additional information regarding data processing or replication procedures can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethical Approval Statement: This study does not involve human participants, personal data, or experimental procedures requiring ethical approval. The research is based exclusively on secondary data obtained from publicly available sources, primarily the Eurostat Database. All data used in the analysis are aggregated at the country level and fully anonymised. Therefore, according to institutional and international research ethics standards, formal ethical approval was not required for this study.

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