During a debate at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday 21 May, all political groups except the far right welcomed the European Commission’s roadmap for a definitive phase-out of Russian fossil fuel imports into the EU by 2027 (see EUROPE 13634/1).
As Dan Jørgensen, the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, pointed out, this total abandonment has been a long-standing demand of the European Parliament.
The communication presented on 6 May will lead to specific measures in June, including “an EU-wide ban on all imports of Russian gas under new contracts and spot contracts from the end of this year”, the Commissioner pointed out.
Christian Ehler (EPP, German) said that his group supported the European Commission’s proposal, but pointed out that not all Member States were in a position to wean themselves off Russian imports in a straightforward manner. “In the coming months, we will have to find the right balance between the EU and the individual interests of Member States, without financing the Russian war in Ukraine led by President Putin”, he said.
Niels Fuglsang (S&D, Danish), for his part, said he was delighted that the EPP and the Polish Presidency of the EU Council supported the Commission’s plan.
Poland’s Minister for European Affairs, Adam Szłapka, explained that energy security was one of the Presidency’s top priorities and that it was currently preparing EU Council conclusions on the subject (see EUROPE 13645/6).
He also criticised the Nordstream gas pipeline projects, which had been “strategically designed to increase our geopolitical dependence. All of these links with Russia must be severed once and for all”, he insisted.
Nicola Procaccini (ECR, Italian) welcomed the plan, but accused Spain, Belgium and France of having increased their imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia in recent years.
Michael Bloss (Greens/EFA, German), Dario Tamburrano (The Left, Italian) and Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe, French), for their part, wanted to ensure that they were “not replacing dependence on Russian gas with dependence on American LNG”. “American LNG must not become a bargaining chip or a lever for blackmail”, Grudler insisted.
He also welcomed the fact that the Commission’s plan takes account of Russian nuclear fuel imports, while calling for support for the entire nuclear chain in Europe. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)