Samenvatting

This study aims to investigate the level of attention and politicization that has been granted in the institutional debate on the Pipeline Project Nord Stream 2. To do so the author has operated to assess whether the level of attention reserved to the controversial pipeline has contributed to obtaining policy change and if the intervention of the EU in the project through a stronger legislative framework has rendered the NS2 less politicized. To address these aspects of the institutional debate the paper has relied on the agenda-setting framework delineated by Engeli and Princen, further merged by Tosun. To drive more general assumptions on the politicization of energy projects the research has operated a case study approach in which it was given a legal contextualization of the project, which serves to understand the context in which the various actors can act and with which competences. After that it portrayed the pattern of countries engaged in debating the Nord Stream 2, within it has been individuated the breadth of actors, the different stakes and stances but also the divisions internal to the Council of the EU. The case study has been concluded with a narrative on the institutional debate that has interested the pipeline and lastly, a focus on the European Parliament and the insights of five interviews with MEPs have been displayed. The study concludes that the reglementary action of the European Union has brought to softer tones in the EU arena and to a decrease in the salience with which the project is discussed. It has also been possible to affirm that the high level of attention and thus, politicization of the project during the policy process have led to a significant policy change, which without the intervention of the EP probably would have not been possible.