Brussels, 20/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis and the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine, the European Council is due to confirm its determination to reduce EU dependence on Russian energy when it meets on 26-27 June. European leaders will, for instance, highlight the need for energy infrastructure projects in the EU but conducted by third countries, such as the Italian-Russian South Stream project, to comply with European rules.
At its June summit, the European Council will hold its first discussion on the draft strategy for energy security, which was put together at its request and tabled by the European Commission on 28 May (see EUROPE 11090). In their conclusions, the European leaders will ask for “increased efforts” to reduce Europe's “strong” dependence on external suppliers for its energy. The 28 EU member states will also support the immediate implementation of a package of the most urgent measures for strengthening Europe's resilience and its short-term energy security, before winter 2014-2015. In the light of risk assessments on disruptions to short-term supply, it will strengthen the existing solidarity and emergency mechanisms - including gas storage, emergency infrastructure and reverse flows - primarily in the most vulnerable member states, state the draft conclusions (of which EUROPE has obtained a copy). The member states will also agree that the EU should engage with its international partners to reduce the risk of disruption for the delivery of natural gas in the short-term.
The European Council will additionally require that all the EU internal market and competition rules “be adhered to” by the energy infrastructure investments including those promoted by third countries, and “robustly enforced” with a view to ensuring “full compliance” with EU legislation and its energy security priorities. This is a scarcely veiled reference to the South Stream gas pipeline project, led by Gazprom, on which the Commission is currently blocking construction work in the EU member countries taking part in the project (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Italy) plus Serbia, while its compatibility with EU legislation is assessed. At the beginning of June, the Commission opened an infringement procedure against Bulgaria, targeting Bulgaria's procedure for granting public contracts for the work on the section of the South Stream pipeline on Bulgarian territory. The Commission called for immediate suspension of the work. Further infringement proceedings against other countries taking part in South Stream could follow, the Commission threatened several times in June. In this context, the Council will also demand respect of the acquis communautaire by member countries of the Energy Community, as well as respect for obligations stemming from legislation on the internal energy market. This is an implicit message to Serbia (a neighbouring country and EU accession candidate), which is also taking part in the South Stream project and is baulking at the suspension of construction work on its territory.
On the basis of the strategy proposed by the Commission, and ahead of its meeting in October, the European Council will task the energy ministers with continuing the analysis of other measures needed to improve the EU's energy security in the mid to long term. It will again underline the importance of integrating the European energy market (for which the political objective remains the end of 2014) on the basis of a regional approach, and the importance of constructing the missing infrastructure and interconnections.
The European Council will also confirm that it will take a final decision, in October at the latest, on the new framework for 2030 climate and energy policies, including other measures to strengthen Europe's energy security and the objectives of interconnection by 2030.
Lastly, the European Council will give its support to the initiative taken in Rome in early May by the energy ministers of the G7 countries, which was commended by the EU leaders in Brussels in June and which targets the implementation of policies to build a “more competitive, diversified, resilient energy system with reduced greenhouse gas emissions”. (EH)