“Diversify sources, and don’t expect positive changes in Russia”

Europe is likely to be increasingly dependent on gas and oil imports, whose security it is less and less able to guarantee.

This situation-especially the heavy reliance on Russian energy sources-needs to be addressed by diversifying the types of energy production within the EU, as well as the sources of foreign imports, said experts at a public hearing today. For the foreseeable future, the European Union will find itself preoccupied with energy security questions, said experts at yesterday’s public hearing, held by the EP Foreign Affairs Committee.
„The main drive in oil demand is transportation, an area in which it is hard to find a substitute product,” said Noe van Hulst, Director of the International Energy Agency in Paris. At the same time, „the EU uses more natural gas per unit of GDP every year,” noted Professor Jan Horst Keppler, of Paris-Dauphine University. „The EU cannot tolerate interruptions in supply, as witnessed recently,” said Eneko Landaburu, Director General, External Relations at the European Commission.
But although some internal solutions exist to remedy the situation, such as Prof. Keppler’s suggestion to consider talking about raising European energy prices, the main focus of the committee hearing was on the external aspects of the problem. As committee Chairman, and rapporteur Jacek Saryusz-Wolski Polish politician noted, „energy diplomacy will need to play a central role” in considerations of Europe’s energy security.

BBJ