Brussels, 14/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - The most energy dependent member states remain Malta (101%), Luxembourg (97%), Cyprus (93%) and Ireland (89%).
The economic slowdown observed in the European Union since the beginning of the financial crisis is also reflected in the evolution of its gross energy consumption, which fell by 6% between 2008 and 2011, decreasing from 1.8 billion tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) in 2008 to 1.7 billion toe in 2009, increasing to 1.76 billion toe in 2010, then falling again to 1.7 billion toe in 2011, Eurostat announced this week. Twenty-three member states registered decreases in their energy consumption over the 2008-2011 period, the largest falls being recorded in Lithuania (24.5%), Ireland and Greece (both 12.3%). The five largest energy consumers remain Germany (316 million toe, -7.7% compared with 2008), France (260million toe, -4.6%), the United Kingdom (199million toe, -9.4%), Italy (173million toe, -4.8%) and Spain (129million toe, -9.4%), which together account for nearly two thirds of total EU consumption.
The energy dependence rate - defined as net imports divided by gross consumption, and showing the extent to which a country is dependent on energy imports - stood at 53.8% for the whole EU in 2011. The dependence rates per country are: Austria (69.3%), Belgium (72.9%), Bulgaria (36.6%), Cyprus (92.6%), the Czech Republic (28.6%), Estonia (11.7%), Finland (53.8%), France (48.9%), Germany (61.1%), Greece (65.3%), Hungary (52%), Ireland (88.9%), Italy (81.3%), Latvia (59%), Lithuania (81.8%), Luxembourg (97.4%), Malta (100.6%), the Netherlands (30.4%), Poland (33.6%), Portugal (77.4%), Romania (21.3%), Slovakia (64.2%), Slovenia (48.4%), Spain (76.4%), Sweden (36.8%) and the United Kingdom (36%). As a net energy exporter, Denmark is the only member state to present a negative dependence rate (-8.5%). (EH/transl.fl)