From the offshore platform of the Troll oil and gas field off the coast of Norway, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre welcomed Norway’s role in securing the EU’s energy supply on Friday 17 March.
In response to Russia’s energy “blackmail” in the wake of its military invasion of Ukraine, Norway has increased its gas production to ensure “between 30 and 40% of gas supplies” to the EU27 and will maintain its current production level for “the next four to five years”, said Jonas Gahr Støre. He assured his country’s willingness to act as a “secure supplier” to the EU27.
After February 24, 2022, “we needed friends” to compensate for the withdrawal, decided by the Kremlin, of “100 bcm of gas” from the market to the EU, said Ms von der Leyen, welcoming the Norwegian effort to increase its deliveries “from 70 to 90 bcm”.
Asked about high energy prices, the two political leaders spoke of discussions on how to bring them down, including through the use of long-term contracts. Norway was opposed to the gas price capping introduced in the EU at the end of 2022 (see EUROPE 13053/6).
Mr Gahr Støre and Ms von der Leyen also intend to continue EU/Norway collaboration on ecological transition, with the Norwegian Prime Minister mentioning the installation of offshore wind turbines near the Troll field and the production of 'green' hydrogen. The President of the Commission wanted the EU to establish a Green Alliance with Norway, similar to the one already in place with Japan, in order to accelerate the decarbonisation of the economy.
Strategic infrastructure. Both stressed the importance of protecting strategic infrastructure in the energy, digital and space sectors, following the first meeting of the EU/NATO task force on the resilience of such infrastructure (see EUROPE 13143/34).
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who attended the meeting, welcomed the Alliance’s “enhanced role” in securing critical infrastructure.
This initiative was born after the disturbing episode of the sabotage of the Nord Stream II gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in September 2022. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)