(Brussels) While Washington and London have decided to stop imports of Russian hydrocarbons, the EU, which is much more exposed, is not ready to follow them but is organizing to reduce by two-thirds this year its gas purchases from Russia.
Posted at 1:20 p.m.
Called by Kyiv to toughen its sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine, the EU excludes targeting the Russian energy sectors, Moscow’s main source of income. Russia now accounts for 45% of European imports of gas and coal and 25% of those of oil.
To reduce this dependence but without jeopardizing the economy of the most exposed countries, the European Commission proposed Tuesday to the Twenty-Seven to diversify their supplies, inflate their reserves and reduce their energy consumption.
Brussels will submit a legislative proposal by April to impose a filling of at least 90% of reserves by the end of September in the EU with objectives for each country and solidarity between States, the Commissioner announced to the press. Kadri Simson Energy. Stocks are currently 30% full.
In addition to increased use of hydrogen and biomethane, the Commission wants to diversify gas supplies, by discussing with the main producing countries (Norway, United States, Qatar, Algeria) and by coordinating the use of terminals and gas pipelines in Europe – which has the capacity to import 50 billion m3 additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year. It also wants to organize group purchases of gas.
The EU is also banking on its efforts to make industry and buildings more energy efficient (insulation, heating methods, electrification, etc.).
“By the end of the year, we can find alternatives to 100 billion m3 of Russian gas, i.e. two-thirds of our current imports […] It will be damn hard, but it is possible”, insisted the Vice-President of the Commission Frans Timmermans.
According to the European executive, the EU could completely do without Russian gas “well before 2030”.
The roadmap will be discussed on Thursday and Friday by the Heads of State and Government meeting at a summit in Versailles (France). They should commit to “getting out of (their) dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal imports”, but without a timetable, according to draft conclusions consulted by AFP.
– “Dirty energies” –
Some 55% of German gas imports come from Russia, as well as the bulk of supplies from Finland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. No alternative made it possible to do without it “for the moment”, warned Berlin.
“Let’s not hurt ourselves any more than we hurt Putin. We must not destabilize our societies at a time when we must remain united,” acknowledged Mr. Timmermans.
For the time being, Brussels wants to moderate the impact of soaring prices for households and businesses by expanding its “toolbox” unveiled in the fall: a panoply of measures (price regulation, direct aid, tax relief , abolition of VAT, etc. that States can adopt in the face of the energy crisis.
Beyond relaxed conditions for public aid, the Commission will allow states to tax the profits of energy companies to redistribute them and is considering a temporary cap on electricity prices.
On the other hand, if the temporary use of coal is not “taboo” for countries wishing to quickly reduce their imports of Russian gas, “this does not exempt them from their commitment to achieve” their greenhouse gas reduction objectives. for 2030, warned Frans Timmermans.
Without convincing environmental NGOs: limiting or stopping its imports of Russian gas “should not be used as a pretext to launch new fossil fuel projects in Europe and the United States” while for LNG, “the hydrocarbon giants rush to “save” us from dependence on Russia”, lamented Mike Davis, of Global Witness.
“We have the means to immediately dispense with Russian oil and gas, now stained with Ukrainian blood. The most effective policy is to reduce our energy consumption” because this “would reduce the cost of replacing dirty energies”, abounded Thomas Pellerin-Carlin of the Jacques Delors Institute.