Dead-end dialog

By 2030, 90 percent of the EU's oil consumption and 80 percent of its gas intake will have to come from foreign sources. When it comes to gas, some 60 percent of those imports are expected to come from Russia. However, according to Economy Minister Piotr Woźniak, the EU is not taking a sufficiently consistent stance in its energy talks with Moscow.

"The EU-Russia energy dialog is suspended in limbo, as you can't really consider the project of the Baltic Pipeline to be the result of this dialog," Woźniak said at a conference on Poland's energy security within the context of the EU. He said the bloc is avoiding taking a strong stance on the issue.

Gazprom recently announced that the underwater part of the Baltic Pipeline's construction will start off in spring 2008 and the entire projects should be finished in 2010.

"If the Baltic Pipeline's transmission capacity really is as high as planned, it will enable Russia to stop gas supplies to Poland and Belarus without cutting off supplies to Western Europe. It will also pose a serious threat for the environment and create a dangerous market situation, [in which the pipeline] would compete with gas supplies from other directions, in our case from Scandinavia," he added.

Norway, which is planning to increase its gas extraction and exports by five percent over the next five years, has recently invited Poland to participate in a project to construct a gas pipeline between Oslo and the Swedish coast. The Polish government is hoping to be able to extend the pipeline to reach Poland.

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs also stressed the need for the diversification of energy sources and suppliers to the EU. He strongly supports the development in Poland of 'clean coal' technologies.

Defense Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that his ambition is to make the Polish army the leader in the diversification of energy supply sources. He plans to implement a diversification project worth zł.7 million to increase the use of biofuels and decrease imports.

"Energy security is becoming a more and more obvious element of national security. The biggest oil and gas deposits are situated in politically insecure regions. Only through the diversification of sources and transmission will we be able to decrease our dependence on external suppliers," he said.

"The EU should be prepared for all possible scenarios - even attempts at using energy supplies for political purposes," Sikorski added.