EU sees how its energy security is being curbed and accelerates plan to reduce dependence on Moscow, which has already limited gas flow to 12 countries
“Russia uses gas as blackmail”. This phrase, repeated over and over by European leaders, is more relevant today than ever. This Saturday’s announcement of supplies to Latvia brings ever closer the threat of a total lockdown by Moscow. Winter is approaching and twelve EU countries are already suffering from total or partial gas outages, endangering the energy security of the European Union.
That dependence was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s great asset against EU sanctions. The continent imports about 40% of the gas it consumes from Moscow, making it particularly vulnerable to any change in supply. It was verified less than a week ago, when the halving of the flow coming through the Nord Stream gas pipeline for “technical reasons” hit the economies of Germany and Austria. But a total shutdown could lead the EU to gas rationing and a recession, shrinking European GDP by between 1% and 1.5%.
That is the great fear of the European Executive, who is trying to minimize the impact of this decoupling. Two weeks ago, Brussels drew up a contingency plan to save 15% gas until March next year. This initiative, approved by the Twenty-seven last week, aims to accelerate the filling of Europe’s reserves – currently at 74% of capacity – and lower the price of energy. “It asks a lot of the States, but we have to do it,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Some countries, including Spain, have launched national savings plans to meet the rates requested by Brussels. In Germany, the reduction in supply from the Nord Stream led to the government issuing an energy alarm and imposing austerity measures. Less light in the houses, hours of rationing of hot water, shorter showers and less night lighting and traffic lights in the cities are some of the measures imposed by Berlin.
At the same time, the EU is trying to find “trustworthy” suppliers and has signed agreements to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Azerbaijan, among others. The cabinet has been working against the clock to replace Russian gas as the total volume of energy imports from Moscow has fallen by 66% in just a year.
And everything points to Putin doubling his pressure on the EU. That is why Brussels is committed to making European emissions regulations more flexible, so that governments can compensate for the lack of gas with more polluting energy sources such as coal. Belgium has reopened one of the factories it had closed and other countries have postponed their withdrawal from nuclear power after the war in Ukraine started. However, Europe continues to ensure that it is emission neutral by 2050.
Source: La Verdad
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