EU should warn Moscow against using energy as a 'political weapon'

By Martin Banks - 4th February 2010

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Senior EPP deputy Alejo Vidal-Quadras has urged the EU to warn Russia not to use energy as a "political weapon."

The Spaniard told a hearing in parliament on Wednesday that Moscow had "increasingly" shown a willingness to "take advantage" of its position as a major energy supplier to the EU.

"It must be tempting for Russia to do this. Unfortunately, Russia is also using this position as a sort of political weapon and that is why the EU has got to tell Moscow this must not continue," he said.

"We have got to tell Russia we want good relations with them and as partners in the energy sector."

He said the EU should do all it can to avoid a repeat of recent gas supply crises.

In January 2009, many countries in Europe were left short of gas due to a payment dispute between Moscow and Kiev.

Russia provides about a quarter of the gas consumed in the EU and 80 per cent of that is piped through Ukraine.

Vidal-Quadras told the hearing that disruption caused by the dispute posed a "serious" threat to future EU gas supplies and this highlighted the need for the EU to diversify its energy sources and routes.

He said, "The best overall solution against failures of the gas supply in the EU is to ensure a fully functional internal energy market between the member states."

He was speaking at an EPP group hearing on the EU energy regulation, currently working its way through parliament, which will set a framework to monitor energy provision in case of crisis, like the one between Ukraine and Russia last year.

Vidal-Quadras, who is responsible for steering the new proposal through the industry, research and energy committee, said, "The last crisis showed that there was enough gas in the EU to guarantee supply but also that there is a very obvious lack of infrastructure such as interconnections."

He recognised that the creation of additional infrastructure "will entail significant costs that will not be easily recovered as the capacity will only be used when there is an emergency."

The veteran deputy said parliament will "try to find the best possible solution that will balance the supply needs with cost effectiveness".

Industry representatives, experts and national regulators participated in the hearing.