Europe must continue its course toward energy independence and supply diversification, rather than restoring imports of energy from Russia, says Ursula von der Leyen
Europe should keep pursuing energy independence and diversify its energy supplies instead of resuming imports from Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
“We can already see the impact of the situation in the Middle East on energy. Thanks to measures we have taken in recent years, Europe is now far less dependent on fossil fuel imports. Our efforts to diversify are paying off. But this does not mean we are immune to price shocks,” she acknowledged.
Since energy markets are global, disruptions in the Persian Gulf quickly affect prices everywhere, and price spikes are already being observed, the Commission President noted, adding that yesterday there was a meeting of G7 energy ministers ahead of the leaders’ videoconference to address this issue.
“But no matter what we do, as long as we import a significant share of fossil fuels from unstable regions, we remain vulnerable and dependent,” she said, emphasizing that such energy resources always come at a price.
Von der Leyen highlighted that since the start of the conflict, gas prices have risen by 50% and oil prices by 27%.
“Translated into euros, just 10 days of war have already cost European taxpayers an additional 3 billion euros for fossil fuel imports. This is the price of our dependence,” she said.
She pointed out that Europe has its own energy sources, namely renewables and nuclear energy, the prices of which have remained stable over these 10 days.
“However, in the current crisis, some argue that we should abandon our long-term strategy and even return to Russian fossil fuels. That would be a strategic mistake. It would make us more dependent, more vulnerable, and weaker,” von der Leyen said.
In this context, she called on Europe to stick to its long-term strategy.
“While we can be more pragmatic and smarter in implementing it, the direction we are moving in is undoubtedly correct,” she concluded.
