Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market was the guest of “8:30 am franceinfo”, Friday March 11, 2022. Imports of Russian hydrocarbons, aid to States in the face of the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, European cyberdefense… He responds to the questions from Lorrain Sénéchal and Neila Latrous.
The EU “is working to completely get rid of Russia as a supplier of hydrocarbons”
“We are working to completely get rid of Russia as a supplier of hydrocarbons”assures Thierry Breton, while Europe is currently importing “nearly 800 million euros per day” of Russian gas and oil. At what time? “That’s obviously the question”, he acknowledges. In any case, “we are making a commitment that by the end of the year, we will have reduced the supply of Russian gas by two thirds”he says.
To do without Russian gas, “sources of supply will be diversified”. “We know there are, especially in the United States and North Africa”. In the lot, will there be shale gas, the exploitation of which is prohibited in France? “Of coursethere will be gas whatever”. “We are in a situation of war economy”he repeats.
War in Ukraine: the Commission will be “very accommodating” on aid
“The European Commission is going to be very accommodating in order to be able to help governments precisely” of the European Union “to take action” and “to continue the measures that have already been taken” with the aim of mitigating the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine for individuals and businesses, announces Thierry Breton.
“When the States intervene, it is assimilated to State aid”, he recalls. However, the granting of this State aid is very supervised within the European Union. “We are going, as we did during the Covid crisis, to be accommodating in the sense that we are going to support the States to allow them precisely to use public money in support in a specific and targeted way during this period”he says.
“Thinking about a European cyber army”
“We have to build a cyber shield, perhaps think about having a European cyber army, like we have an army with Frontex which guards the borders”, declares Thierry Breton. Cybersecurity “is an absolutely essential subject”, he hammers. Moreover, the subject was broached during “of a meeting with all the Ministers of Telecommunications and Digital, three days ago in Nevers, under the French presidency”.
“We know that war takes place in traditional and classic theaters of operation, we have a tragic vision of it”declares Thierry Breton, alluding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, “but there are also theaters of operation in cyberspace and there we need to have mutualisation”.
Find the entire “8:30 am franceinfo” of Friday March 11, 2022: