Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-01-14-Speech-3-342"
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"en.20090114.17.3-342"2
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"Mr President, we are currently living through one of the most severe energy crises in European history, comparable with the oil crises that we had in the 1970s and 1980s. The difference is that those oil crises were global while this is very clearly an EU crisis.
In normal contacts with both parties earlier in the years, knowing from previous experiences that deals are usually struck in the night from 31 December to 1 January, we always reminded them: ‘Please find a solution to your bilateral gas issues because it is affecting our transit’.
Well, unfortunately this was not the case. We know where we are today in spite of all these efforts, and I strongly believe that the solution is in the hands of the two parties. But do they want a solution? The presidency and the Commission have called and are still calling on Russia and Ukraine to resume gas flows immediately. We have done our part. We are genuinely able to provide a full response about where the gas goes: not one cubic metre of gas goes in a different direction without us noticing. I believe that the measures that we have taken are sufficient.
But if both parties say that some other measures are necessary, we are ready to consider that, because I also see the lack of coordination and contacts between the two sides.
This is the immediate crisis. What next? I know that whatever solution we will find now is temporary, so to restore the credibility of this transport route we will need a long-lasting solution; so the contacts between those parties will definitely be continued during the Czech presidency, but will also, unfortunately, have to continue under the Swedish presidency.
But I believe that we have provided answers for security of supply in the Second Strategic Energy Review, in the work Parliament and the Council have done on the energy and climate change package. These are the solutions provided, and we cannot rely on external suppliers which unfortunately do not honour their contractual obligations and do not take into account consumer interests.
But I would like to stress particularly two issues that should be addressed immediately:
One is the lack of interconnection. Yes, there has been solidarity, but in a lot of cases it was hampered by the lack of sufficient infrastructure to deliver gas from the storage facilities that are there to the places where there is an acute need of gas supply. I believe that the debate on the recovery plan, where infrastructure is also mentioned, is really a good instrument to address these places, because there is not always enough commercial interest to really provide for this type of intervention.
Second, we definitely missed an opportunity in 2004 when we discussed the Gas Supply Security Directive. The instrument which was prepared was weak and did not meet the current needs. We have prepared, and we will shortly be submitting, the new draft proposal on the Security of Gas Supply Directive; an impact assessment is being made and in the coming weeks it will be here in Parliament.
I believe we should react immediately and really find coordinated Community mechanisms to respond to this type of crisis.
The presidency has really worked very hard and I would like to congratulate the presidency for always taking the lead, with the full support of the Commission. I believe that in these difficult times the European Union has proved that it is speaking with one voice. The European Union is led by the presidency and supported by the Commission.
Where are we today? Well, in spite of promises made and the protocol signed on Monday 12 January 2008 between Russian and Ukrainian ministers, myself and the two companies involved, Russian gas is not yet flowing through Ukraine to EU consumers.
But I also very much welcome all the activities that the European Parliament carries out, because Parliament provides the basis for an agreement. If two parties do not speak at government level, if the companies are trying to play games, which could provide for political stability? It is the broad political basis in Ukraine and Russia that speaks together, and I would thank Mr Saryusz-Wolski for his activities in providing this exchange of views, and also President Pöttering who took part in conciliating both parties. The solution is so easy if they would just talk to each other.
So I believe these were very important activities and I very much hope that after today’s meeting in Parliament – because it is followed by both sides – there will be additional encouragement to resolve the issue. The party suffering the most is the party that is not responsible for this crisis, the party that has come in to facilitate matters; and this facilitation costs European taxpayers and European consumers money.
So I believe it is high time the gas flowed again towards the European Union in stable conditions.
The Commission has fulfilled its part of the deal: providing a European team of monitors to be spread over key places in Russia and Ukraine to observe the operations and report on their accuracy. We were able to mobilise a team composed of Commission officials and industry experts in 24 hours and they were already in Russia and Ukraine last Saturday to enable the flow of gas to resume as soon as the protocol was signed.
Yesterday Russia resumed gas deliveries to Ukraine in relatively small quantities that meet less than one third of the normal flow, but decided to use an entry point which, according to the Ukrainian company, is difficult to use, and this led Ukraine to stop transport. The report of our monitors confirms that it was technically difficult (though not impossible) to ensure the transport under these conditions.
Today, unfortunately, the same situation occurred and the only solution is for the two parties to ensure full coordination of their technical operations, so that volumes and entry points match the requirements of the gas transport system.
If there is no further coordination, there will be no gas supply, and EU monitors and the Commission on the spot are trying to encourage both sides to find this technical agreement.
At the same time, I do not take sides. I do not want to blame one or the other party. But it is very clear that both parties have lost their reputation as reliable energy partners of the European Union.
Returning to the history of the last month, I wish to say that the EU reacted promptly, voiced its concerns, and both parties have been constantly urged by the highest-ranking political leaders to restore immediate supplies and to fulfil their obligations."@en1
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