EU ‘wrong’ to prioritise energy diversification

High-level European and Russian officials locked horns over how the EU should deal with the looming global energy crunch at a debate in Brussels yesterday (14 October), with Russian Deputy Head of Mission to the EU Alexander Krestyanov spurning allegations that his country used energy as a political weapon.

Insisting that Moscow was Europe’s ally in its search for energy security, Krestyanov said the EU was “wrong” to “reduce the issue of energy security to just the issue of energy supply”. Much will also depend on the exploration of new territories for oil and gas and the development of new technologies, which “can only be done through joint efforts,” he stressed. 

Public concern about Russia 

But European Commission Director General for External Relations Eneko Landaburu said the question of energy security had “become crucial following the difficulties encountered nearly two winters ago with energy deliveries from Russia” and following the recent tensions with Georgia. 

“There is a realisation by public opinion that we are fragile,” he said, adding: “We have a responsibility to try to give some answers to our citizens.” 

Landaburu continued: “Europe’s will is to depend less on Russia for our oil and gas consumption and we therefore have a diversification strategy. This is not a strategy against Russia but a strategy that seeks to not put all our eggs in one basket […] It’s not against you,” he insisted. 

Tit-for-tat 

But while Krestyanov said he “understood” the EU’s diversification policy, he said Europe would also have to understand Russia’s reaction to it. “If the EU is diversifying, Russia also needs to think about diversifying its exports to other regions of the world,” he said, explaining that the construction of pipelines was “not cheap” and that the Russia needed to secure its sources of tax revenue. 

Building ‘quality’ relations 

But Total CEO Christophe de Margerie slammed the EU strategy, saying: “I would certainly not consider that diversity as such means security. Security is a question of quality of relationship.” 

“As far as you consider Russia as a friend, and not as an enemy, the first thing to do is to take as much gas as we can from Russia before they give it to someone else,” he said, adding that current diversification plans were far from assured and questioning the cost of gaining access to other gas supplies. 

Nabucco going nowhere? 

In particular, the EU should not count too much on its flagship Nabucco pipeline to free itself from Russia’s grip, said de Margerie, commenting: “Nabucco is a nice pipe with no gas.” The intention was for the gas to come from Iran, “but with an embargo on Iran, there is no gas,” he said, adding: “In our industry, you start with the gas and then you build the pipe. I’ve been saying this now for more than three years but it didn’t work. So now I say it a little louder: There is no Nabucco.” 

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