The EU Commission presented today an energy security package with
proposals to equip the EU for the global energy transition, as well as
to be prepared for possible energy supply interruptions. In clearer
words, to reduce Europe’s dependency on Russia.
Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said nations fell short of the
Commission’s energy aims. EU member states lack sufficient alternatives
to Russian supplies and there is a need for “an urgent political push”
for strategic power and gas links to share resources.
The package presented by Šefčovič and by the Energy
Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete sets out a range of measures to
strengthen the EU’s resilience to gas supply disruptions. These measures
include moderating energy demand, increasing energy production in
Europe (including from renewables), further developing a
well-functioning and fully integrated internal energy market, as well as
diversification of energy sources, suppliers and routes.
“For the 10th consecutive year, EU had to import half of its energy in 2014”, said Commissioner Cañete.
The Commission is seeking sustainable, affordable, efficient and
diversified supplies – meaning at least three separate suppliers. For
some nations, Russia, which provides around a third of EU energy, is
their only option.
The energy security package aims to move the 28-member bloc towards a
single energy union in which power and gas would flow freely across
borders, reducing reliance on Russian gas.
The new package includes a strategy for liquefied natural gas (LNG)
and gas storage. Europe is the biggest importer of natural gas in the
world. Europe’s overall LNG import capacity is significant – currently
it is enough to meet around 43% of total current gas demand (2015).
However, significant regional disparities as regards access to LNG
remain. The Commission sets a liquefied natural gas (LNG) strategy that
will improve access of all Member States to LNG as an alternative source
of gas. The central elements of this strategy are building the
strategic infrastructure to complete the internal energy market and
identifying the necessary projects to end single-source dependency of
some of the Member States.
The package was immediately criticised by Greenpeace, which said that
the Commission is blind to renewables’ potential and keeps Europe stuck
on gas. Jiri Jerabek, energy policy adviser at Greenpeace EU, said:
“It’s like the Paris agreement never happened and
the Commission is stuck on gas, dishing out a costly proposal that will
keep Europe hooked on energy imports. It is high time Europe embraces
the renewable energy transition. Only if it focuses on renewables and
energy efficiency will Europe meet its climate targets and reduce
its dependence on foreign energy supplies”.
To this, Commissioner Cañete had one answer: “
We can’t get to 100% renewables overnight ”.
Last year, the web of deals Russia cut with Eastern European states
to build the South Stream pipeline under the Black Sea morphed into a
legal headache when the EU executive said it did not comply with rules
on ownership or third-party pipeline access.
Plans for pipelines to pump more Russian gas to Europe, including the
expansion of the Nord Stream link to Germany, have pitted states who
see it as a solution to supply disruptions via Ukraine against those
worried about dependence on Russia.
Concerns about Russia’s dominance have increased since Moscow’s annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea.
Gazprom, which supplies about a third of the EU’s gas, mostly across
Ukraine, is the target of an EU antitrust investigation for allegedly
overcharging customers in Eastern Europe and thwarting rivals.
http://neurope.eu/article/eu-energy-bosses-propose-closer-energy-union/