EU reveals new energy plans amid Ukraine-Russia crisis

The European Commission has revealed its plans to improve energy security in the EU and address dependence on Russian gas with the worsening crisis in Ukraine threatening energy supplies.

G7 leaders met in Rome earlier this month to discuss the issue after Russia said it could cut off gas supplies to Ukraine and even the rest of Europe.

Europe gets around a third of its gas from Russia, much of which passes through Ukraine.

European Commission president José Manuel Barroso said: “The EU has done a lot in the aftermath of the gas crisis 2009 to increase its energy security. Yet, it remains vulnerable. The tensions over Ukraine again drove home this message.”

The strategy is designed to diversify supplier countries and routes by fostering partnerships with other suppliers.

The Commission is also looking to expand supply routes including the Southern Gas Corridor in the Caspian Basin region and developing the Mediterranean Gas Hub.

In 2012, around 53 per cent of the EU’s energy was imported, with 88 per cent of crude oil and 66 per cent of natural gas being imported. Only 4 per cent of renewable energy was imported.

The Commission has also called for domestic energy production to be increased with a particular focus on renewables.

European energy commissioner, Günther Oettinger, said, “We need to complete the internal energy market, improve our infrastructure, become more energy efficient and better exploit our own energy resources. Moreover, we need to accelerate the diversification of external energy suppliers, especially for gas. Only concrete actions will help.”

There has been criticism from groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth that the strategy is too focused on fossil fuels and doesn’t prioritise energy efficiency and renewable energy generation sufficiently.