Import ban: can the EU get by without Russian gas?
The European Union has decided to end imports of natural gas from Russia by the end of 2027 at the latest. The decisions comes after 24 EU countries voted in favour of the move while Hungary and Slovakia voted against it and Bulgaria abstained. The governments in Budapest and Bratislava now plan to challenge the decision before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Europe's commentators discuss the options for gas supplies to the bloc.
Energy policy is not neutral
The EU is finally learning lessons from Russia's war against Ukraine, European Pravda comments with satisfaction:
“The formal approval of the rejection of Russian gas within the REPowerEU framework means more than just another energy reform for the European Union. For the first time in decades, the EU has recognised that energy policy cannot remain neutral in wartime and that dependence on an authoritarian supplier is not a market risk, but a strategic vulnerability. Behind this decision lies not only a change in the import figures but also a transformation of the very logic of European governance.”
Half-hearted
Dzerkalo Tyzhnia is sceptical:
“The EU could already put a complete halt to gas imports into its member states, but there is a lack of political will. If the deadline is postponed by one and a half to two years, it will become a political signal rather than an instrument for quickly upping the economic pressure. What's more, the adoption of this document has shown that resistance within the EU has by no means disappeared. Slovakia and Hungary opposed it and declared their willingness to challenge the plan in court. This means that even after the formal decision there is a risk of delays in implementation, attempts to seek exemptions and a political 'retreat'.”
EU needs to produce its own gas
Berlingske says the rapid phase-out of fossil fuel production should be revised:
“From an economic perspective, liquefied natural gas is more expensive than pipeline gas, and from a security policy perspective it would make more sense to produce the gas ourselves than import it. Denmark and the rest of Europe should change course with regard to gas exploration and production. Climate policy must not stand in the way of this. European gas does not cause more global warming than American gas - on the contrary. No matter how ambitious its climate policy may be, Europe will continue to consume gas for the foreseeable future, and renewable but unstable energy sources will have to be supplemented with energy from combustion when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.”
Romania should play a key role
With its natural gas reserves, Romania has many possibilities when it comes to supplying gas for Europe, Deutsche Welle's Romanian service puts in:
“For now, the EU's commitments to the US do not allow for any major deviations: by 2028 it will import US oil and gas worth 750 billion dollars. ... Despite its large gas reserves in the Black Sea, Romania does not yet know how to participate in the European power game, preferring to remain on the sidelines. ... Yet it could organise an energy summit for the Eastern European countries and invite regional leaders to plan the major projects of the future, especially since it's so difficult to break away from Russia, particularly in this region.”