The School of Law of the European University Cyprus decided the institution of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Energy (IRCE).
Energy is recognized as a fundamental pillar of economic growth. Energy sources constitute a good being in a situation of scarcity and its possession offers a strategic advantage. The Law provides anyway the necessary regulatory intervention to the energy sector, but it also coincides and interacts with other sciences, the cognitive object of which concerns aspects of energy issues. Between them are included the security of energy supply, the protection of energy consumers, the environmental effect of the energy production, the sustainability of energy development, the fair competition in the energy market and the renewable energy sources. In that respect, the law scientist will collaborate with the economist, the environmentalist, the engineer, the internationalist.
Cyprus has justifiably obtained the denomination of energy node, because on the one hand of the recent discovery of the significant size natural gas deposits and on the other hand of its geographical position in the real heart of the South East Mediterranean Sea. For that reason, the island could justifiably constitute the site of the establishment and operation of an interdisciplinary research center, which will deal with energy topics, to be considered under different scientific aspects. The ‘radiation’ of this research center could embrace the neighbor countries (Greece, Israel and Egypt), which participate to the ad hoc constituted international energy fora, developing relevant international collaborations. Still, in any case, this research center could become a precious counsel of the Cypriot State, in the frame of the actual geopolitical context, which definitely encourages hopes of prosperity, but also is inherent with dangers of conflicts.
IRCE constitutes a research center of the European University of Cyprus and is located in the premises of its School of Law (Building C, 4th floor, 6, Diogenous str, 2504 Engomi, Nicosia). Its email address is deke.irce@gmail.com