Organization for a Free Energy Market
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| File:Flag of the Organization for a Free Energy Market.png Flag of the Organization for a Free Energy Market | |
| File:Map depicting the members of OFEM (blue) and POPE (orange).png | |
| Abbreviation | OFEM |
|---|---|
| Formation | March 10, 1986 |
| Type | Intergovernmental organization |
| Headquarters | Dakos, Belhavia |
Membership | 12 treaty signatories
|
The Organization for a Free Energy Market (OFEM) is an intergovernmental organization in Pardes headquartered in Dakos, Belhavia. The organization was formed as a formal group of countries that oppose price control policies implemented by the POPE natural gas and crude oil cartel. OFEM itself is not a trade bloc like POPE and does not set production quotas within the organization, nor is the group centered around oil production. Instead, OFEM solely lobbies against POPE influence in the global oil market and has, on several occasions, filed lawsuits against POPE through the Pardesi Monetary Fund for uncompetitive practices.
Formed in 1986 as a joint effort between Belhavia, the United Republic, the Western Confederal States, Unified Tippercommon Republics, Estovnia, Arthurista, and Davisholm to promote free trade policies in the global energy market, the organization expanded with its widely publicized opposition to what it termed price collusion by POPE after several studies illustrated POPE's influence on crude oil and natural gas prices around the world.
Today, the organization's official goal is the dissolution of uncompetitive practices in the global energy market in order to promote free trade through the Pardesi Trade Assembly. Member states do not generally have political tensions with POPE members, nor does OFEM officially oppose POPE. Many member states are highly reliant on oil and natural gas imports from trade partners in POPE. However, the organization is often critical of POPE policies and is known for terming many of them to be detrimental to free trade.
History
Membership
| Nation | Joined |
|---|---|
 Arthurista |
1986 (founder) |
| File:NB flag in Pardes.png Belhavia | 1986 (founder) |
| Template:Country data Davisholm | 1986 (founder) |
 Eagleland |
1988 |
| Template:Country data Estovnia | 1986 (founder) |
| File:WCS flag.png FSOWCS | 1986 (founder) |
| Template:Country data Gratislavia | 2006 |
| Template:Country data Havenwalde | 1989 |
| Template:Country data Lovehavn | 1991 |
 Sieuxerr |
1990 |
| Template:Country data Tippercommon | 1986 (founder) |
 United Republic |
1986 (founder) |
- Arthurista (1986)
Following the rise of the 'Grand Coalition' of the Liberal and Labour coalition government in 1985, the new moderate, right-of-center government was heavily influenced by the Blue Wave of the 1980s. Its economic program was characterized by privatization of state assets, tax and tariff cuts, among other reforms. A major reformist pledge was encouraging free trade and, more importantly, a free energy market unburdened by the Estovakivan-led global oil & gas cartel. Loweport joined the talks in early 1986 and signed the treaty.
When POPE was created in 1970, Belhavia was at the peak of its 35-year-long left-wing political dominance and did not initially object to its existence. However, over the course of the 1970s, Provisa viewed the organization as a platform for emerging economies like Estovakiva and the Near East monarchies to undercut developed Pardesi economies like Belfras and Emmeria as well as use its dominant oil position to affect global geopolitics. In the Conservative Revolution of 1980, Julian Settas and his Tory party - influenced by the emerging Neoliberal Revolution - were elected to lead the Imperial Government. The Settas administration soon took steps to distance itself and its Free Pardes allies away from the cartel. With the rise of neoliberal leaders and political parties by the mid-1980s in key allies like Emmeria and the Western Confederacy, Settas initiated talks to form OFEM. In early 1986, the five largest free market economies signed the treaty.
At the time OFEM was founded, Davisholm was one of the few members who had a left-wing government. However, the government of Chancellor Roger Bacon had pursued moderate economic policies and supported free trade, due to the influence of moderate ministers like Michael Carter Phillips and Raymond Collins. They were also concerned about rising energy costs and allegations that POPE were manipulating energy prices. Bacon joined the talks in early 1986 and signed the treaty.
- Eagleland (1988)
The Eagleland, despite the presence of local resources of petroleum and natural gas, has been unable to meet soaring energy demand domestically since the late 1970s and imports were deemed necessary. Moreover, the formation of the POPE and its capacity to affect fuel prices have alarmed the Eagleland Government about the country's financial ability to import resources needed to meet energy demands. In the early 1980s the Eagleland was affected by the Neoliberal Revolution and subsequently began a liberalisation process to curb the country's then bloated public sector and enhance private initiative in the economy, but high fuel prices at the time acted as a partial impediment to growth. Under such circumstances, and given the Eagleland's excellent diplomatic relations with Arthurista, Belhavia and Emmeria, in 1988 the Eagleland Republic applied and joined the Organisation for a Free Energy Market.
Like Belhavia, Emmeria, and the other minarchies, Estovnia experienced a neoliberal political revolution in the early 1980s due to the Blue Wave. Its new leadership sought bold reforms across-the-board, including advocating for free trade. During the high oil prices of the 1980s due to POPE's artificial price manipulation, the Estovnian leadership - keenly aware they relied on imported oil and gas - was increasingly frustrated by the seeming invincibility of POPE to set global energy prices. As prices stayed high in the mid-1980s, local voters and business interests lobbied for the government to take action to lower prices. In 1986, when the Estovnians heard about the treaty negotiations, they requested to join and became treaty signatories.
- File:WCS flag.png FSOWCS (1986)
In the early 1980s, the neoliberal and right-wing Unionist Party was elected in the Western Confederacy and drove Western geopolitics and diplomacy. During the War in Baharaq (1981 - 1984), the Western government viewed POPE skeptically as many members, such as Estovakiva, opposed the war and used its influence over the price of oil to manipulate world geopolitics in the 1980s. Seeking to curb the power of the cartel, Viridia looked to the new neoliberal leadership of Free Pardes. In early 1986, the Westerners enthusiastically joined the negotiations and became treaty signatories.
In the mid-2000s, the Gratislav government was in the midst of developing its petroleum industry. The government and private actors were actively investing in oil extraction, production, and export activities. The Bedero government viewed the POPE negatively, fearing that the cartel could undercut its own industry's position. Internal analysts have cited the disproportionate reliance as compared to production (in regards to petroleum) as the driving factor behind Gratislavian membership. Stating that while Gratislavia isn't inherently against artificial price-structuring, Gratislavia's developing alternative-energy sources do not meet the needs of the expanding economy at this time, prompting a desire to keep petroleum prices as low as possible.
After OFEM's creation in 1986, POPE hiked oil & gas prices. In early 1989, the Havenwalder government was faced domestic political pressure to lower prices at the pump for its citizens and industries. After several months of negotiations, it signed the OFEM treaty as a signatory in September 1989 to reduce the organization's influence in general and specifically to lower oil and gas prices to their natural, market prices rather than the artificially-high prices set by the oil cartel. Some analysts speculate it was also a symbolic way for the Havenwalders to show geopolitical independence from Estovakiva; the move to sign the treaty was a direct "poke in the eye" to Cinigrad. Despite pressure after the rise of the RCO and its predecessor PETA in the 2000s and 2010s to break the treaty, the Havenwalde government has stood firm as an OFEM member.
- Sieuxerr (1990)
Following the Havenwalder government's lead amid continually-high global oil prices set by the cartel, the Fifth Republic government - with a new pro-free trade leadership recently elected - negotiated and joined the organization, signing the treaty in December 1990. The Siexerrians have pushed a free energy market agenda in Skandera.
Tippercommon emerged from a bloody civil war in 1986, and its victorious Sussex government sought to capitalize on alternatives to the POPE global oil & gas cartel to fuel its post-conflict growth. With heavy debts and reconstruction burdens, the UTR aimed to undercut POPE on the free market, attracting more and varied clientele. Once it joined OFEM, its Hyperion oil revolution took off, helping to spark high growth rates in Ayton and uplift the whole Tippercommoner economy.
- United Republic (1986)
In the mid-1980s, Emmeria elected a neoliberal president as part of the global Neoliberal Revolution. Worried over the intersection of high oil & gas prices and geopolitical heft from POPE, the United Republic worked with its key free market allies to counter its influence and what it perceived to be monopolistic practices. When the Belhavian government sought to form what would become OFEM, the Emmerians eagerly signed on and organized negotiations with the relevant parties. Analysts argue that Emmeria has used the OFEM as a public, geopolitical platform to state its ideological and philosophical disagreements with cartels and its position as an outspoken advocate of free trade.
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