Europeanisation of Russia needed for EU energy security, Piebalgs says

The adoption of a European-type market economy in Russia and beyond would help create stable energy markets and extra wealth for suppliers while spreading energy benefits from billionaires to ordinary citizens, energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs explained in an interview on Tuesday (28 March), prioritising foreign policy over single market goals in the EU’s new Energy Policy for Europe (EPE)..

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Renewable energy and an efficient single market, the other two pillars of the European Energy Policy (EPE), are also crucial for addressing shrinking world oil supplies and climate change, Mr Piebalgs said, predicting that after 2045 oil will be too valuable to “burn” except in specialist sectors such as jet fuel or petrochemicals.

Sweden’s aim to become oil-free by 2020 while phasing out nuclear power is “really ambitious” Mr Piebalgs remarked, agreeing that it sends out a ‘fortress Sweden’ message to EU neighbours and oil suppliers such as Russia.

But Sweden is “moving in the right direction” in terms of climate change and energy diversification at an EU-level.

New technology, such as electrical connectors for offshore wind farms, will be another focus for commission efforts, Mr Piebalgs said.

“It is already technically possible,” he indicated. “This means that if there is no wind in the Baltic Sea we can switch to the North Sea and so on.”

EU Observer