Energy security in relation with the Russia/Ukraine gas dispute
'The extraordinary Energy (TTE) Council met in a critical moment caused by the current unprecedented interruption of gas supplies from Russia via Ukraine to the EU. The Council urges both parties to resume gas deliveries to the EU immediately in order to rebuild the credibility of both parties and avoid further economical harms and suffering to the citizens of the EU and of neighbouring countries. The Council evaluated the situation of gas supplies in relevant Member States and appreciates domestic and solidarity measures already undertaken, which – despite the limited possibilities in the short run - have helped to mitigate the impact on European citizens and national economies.
Member States are encouraged to sustain and deepen solidarity measures until the supplies are restored.
The Council welcomes the steps undertaken by the Presidency and the Commission with the aim to facilitate the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine in order immediately to restore gas deliveries and appreciates that the EU and its Member States coordinated their approach towards third parties. The Council appreciates the steps taken towards the rstablishment of the technical monitoring mission, which should be maintained as long as necessary, and expects all parties to facilitate prompt results from its work. The Council will follow up closely the information provided by this monitoring mission.
Furthermore, the Council calls on both parties to develop lasting solutions that would prevent the recurrence of such dispute, and in any case ensure they will honour their obligations and guarantee the continuity of gas supply to the EU. The present crisis has documented the importance of urgently reinforcing the energy policy in Member States and at EU level in order to be able to prevent possible future major supply disruptions or cope with their consequences. In this respect and building on the 2nd Strategic Energy Review, the Council agrees on the necessity urgently to develop and strengthen medium and long-term measures along the following priority axes:
Transparency regarding physical gas flows, demand and storage volumes must be enhanced in both Member States and their industry, and in supply and transit countries, including by installing reliable metering systems where appropriate. In this framework, the Council recalls the contribution of long term contracts to the reliability of both countries towards European final customers.
The Council invites the Commission to present a report on this issue in time for the March European Council. The functioning of the Early Warning Mechanism must be assessed as well. Regional or bilateral solidarity arrangements, including on a commercial basis, addressing disruption of supplies must be enhanced . The Commission is invited to suggest possible forms of such agreements. The Commission is also invited to speed up the revision of the Security of Gas
Supply Directive 2004/67/EC by the end of 2009, notably with respect to the definition of the 'major supply disruption' indicator and the related Community and national mitigating measures in crisis situations. Access to and investment in gas storage must be improved and strategic gas stocks could also be considered by Member States as well as other means to improve security including the capacity of each Member State to free up security margins.
In order to identify missing interconnections and accelerate the relevant work, the Commission is invited to carry out a thorough assessment of network interconnection, identify gaps, suggest action and to speed up the revision of the TEN-E framework with a view to considering the development of a comprehensive EU Energy Security and Infrastructure Instrument as suggested in the 2nd Strategic Energy Review. Member States are urged to speed up the implementation of network planning provisions foreseen in the 3rd internal energy market package and inform the Commission of the planning and realization of their most urgent projects.
The contribution of diversified transport routes and sources to the energy security of the EU and its Member States, including by LNG terminals suitably connected to the internal market to be of use to all Member States, must be a major criterion for selecting projects eligible for Community co-financing and other instruments such as those managed by the EIB. In this context the Council calls for mobilizing potential resources under the Community budget and other financing
instruments to strengthen investment in vital energy infrastructure, and calls also for urgent progress on the European Economic Recovery Plan as agreed by the European Council conclusions of December 2008.
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