Multi-Barrier Framework for Assessing Energy Security in European Union Member States (MBEES Approach)

Jarosław Brodny (), Magdalena Tutak () and Wieslaw Wes Grebski
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Jarosław Brodny: Faculty of Organization and Management, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Magdalena Tutak: Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Wieslaw Wes Grebski: Penn State Hazleton, The Pennsylvania State University, 76 University Drive, Hazleton, PA 18202, USA

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-41

Abstract: Assessing energy security in the context of sustainable development, as well as the current geopolitical climate, is a highly important, timely, and complex challenge. Addressing this issue, this paper introduces a new multi-barrier methodological approach to evaluation based on the Multi-Barrier Energy Security System (MBEES) model. This model incorporates five barriers (dimensions) influencing energy security. The MBEES model, along with the developed methodology, was applied to assess the energy security of the EU-27 countries for the period of 2014–2023, in line with EU policy objectives such as Fit for 55 and the Green Deal. The Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation and Entropy methods, combined with the Laplace criterion, were employed to determine the weights of the model’s sub-indicators. This multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach enabled a synthetic overall evaluation of both the general energy security status of the EU-27 countries and the performance of each barrier examined. The study also identified the weakest elements (barriers) within national energy systems that could potentially threaten their stability and resilience. This identification is essential for effective energy risk management and for enhancing the resilience of energy systems against disruptions. Due to its broad scope—covering availability, self-sufficiency, diversification, energy efficiency, energy costs, as well as environmental and social aspects—the study delivered a comprehensive evaluation of energy security in the EU-27 during the examined period. The findings reveal significant spatial and temporal variations in energy security levels among the EU-27 countries. Scandinavian and Western European nations achieved the highest scores, whereas Central, Eastern, and Southern European countries showed lower MBEES index values, reflecting persistent structural, social, and environmental vulnerabilities. The results hold strong potential for practical application, offering guidance for EU policymakers in aligning national strategies with overarching policy frameworks such as REPowerEU and the European Green Deal.

Keywords: energy security; multi-barrier framework; energy policy; EU-27 countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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