In recent years, variations in petroleum prices, gas supply cutoffs and concerns about climate change have combined to place energy security back on the international political agenda. The topic is relevant to transatlantic relations because the developed economies of North America and Europe are significant consumers of energy, a large portion of which comes from outside the region. How they choose to manage energy is not only a technical, but a political question. The fact that a larger percentage of energy used in this region comes from outside of it adds foreign policy complexity. This project focused on European and American energy vulnerabilities and the implications for international affairs, with a particular emphasis on the nexus between energy issues and human rights policy. This project focused on the area of human rights because of the traditional role Europe and the U.S. have played as supporters of international human rights measures. If they were less active on these iss