Brussels, 09/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - In the run-up to the Commission's adoption of its energy package, which reaffirms the importance of a common energy policy, the energy dispute between Belarus and Russia comes as a further test of the Union's ability to speak with a single voice. Delivery of Russian oil was interrupted on Monday due to the dispute between Moscow and Minsk over fossil fuels (EUROPE 9337) on the Druzhba pipeline, which ensures 13% of European supplies in Poland, northern Germany, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and southern Hungary. Suspecting Minsk of siphoning off Russian oil intended for the European Union to offset the higher charges imposed by Russia on its deliveries to Belarus, Moscow accuses its neighbour of causing the supply interruptions. Since Monday, European leaders have reacted in a disorganised manner. “There is no immediate risk for energy supplies to Europe, but it is unacceptable that suppliers or transit countries should take measures without consulting us. Of course, this is a worry to us”, José Manuel Barroso said in Berlin on Tuesday after the meeting between the European Commission and the German government. “It is unacceptable not to be consulted in advance”, took up the German chancellor and president of the European Council, Angela Merkel, before adding: “This damages our trust (in Russia and Belarus) and complicates the establishment of cooperation based on trust”. Although the German minister for the economy, Michael Glos, said he was confident that delivery would resume “rapidly”, Poland was less conciliatory. “This shows that oil supplies from that direction are not reliable”, Economy Minister Piotr Naimski said. Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has convened a meeting of the Oil Supply Group for Thursday to assess the impact of such disruption on the Union. (eh)