The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Executive Vice-President, Maroš Šefčovič, and the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, issued a joint statement on Friday 17 May, on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the REPowerEU strategy, welcoming the collective efforts being made to reduce the EU's energy dependency following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“We have massively reduced Russian energy imports, squeezing the Kremlin’s war economy and showing solidarity with our Ukrainian friends. We have worked with reliable international partners to replace Russian imports where necessary, in particular through joint purchases under the EU’s energy platform”, the statement said.
The three signatories also welcomed the efforts being made to reduce energy demand and the investments being made to accelerate the replacement of imported fossil fuels by renewable energies produced within the EU.
With regard to the surge in energy prices in the summer of 2022, they returned to the measures taken to secure energy supplies and stabilise the markets.
“Prices are now back to pre-war levels. We have put an end to our energy dependence on Russia, and Putin’s pipelines are no longer a tool for blackmailing Europe”, they summarise.
Finally, they welcome the ‘green transformation’ of the EU’s energy landscape and recognise the importance of continuing efforts to completely eliminate Russian fossil fuel imports. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)