PM Tusk: Energy dependence an economic problem for Europe
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Speaking at the conference, which was also attended by Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the EU’s Energy Commissioner Genther Oettinger, Tusk said that “energy dependency is an economic and political problem for the EU which limits its political capabilities.”
“It is very clear that our potential to react to Russia’s aggressive policy towards Ukraine is limited for precisely the reason, that the level of energy dependency is so great,” Tusk said.
“The Ukraine crisis has prompted us to speak about it with greater intensity, but let us remember that this discourse has gone on for many years,” he added.
According to PM Tusk, the EU’s current gas market is ineffective and needs an overhaul. During Wednesday’s conference he underlined that the EU loses €30 billion annually due to what he believes is Europe’s poorly constructed gas market.
However, Tusk maintained that a single gas market in the EU would not be possible without the development of the necessary infrastructure.
The EC is to provide recommendations on the EU’s energy security ahead of a summit in late June.
