Page 9 - FSUOGM Week 38 2021

FSUOGM POLICY FSUOGM

EU Parliament calls for bloc to cut

down on Russian energy imports

EUROPE AS Europe struggles with record-high gas prices, its capacity to expose and stop the flows of dirty
the European Parliament has made a renewed money from Russia, as well as to expose the
The parliament voted call for the EU to cut down on imports of Russian resources and financial assets that regime-linked
494 in favour with oil and gas, in order to promote democracy in autocrats and oligarchs have hidden in EU mem-
103 against and 72 the bloc’s eastern neighbour. ber states.”
abstentions. Such calls are nothing new, especially in The EU should also consider withholding its
the years since Moscow’s annexation of the recognition of the Russian parliament, if elec-
Crimean Peninsula in 2014, which triggered tions scheduled this month are not carried out
the collapse in relations between Russia and in line with democratic principles.
the West. But the latest demand comes as Regarding Russian gas supply, the text said
Europe copes with all-time record gas prices, that the EU needed to “immediately” implement
caused by a strong rebound in demand and reverse natural gas flow capabilities and further
constrained supply. diversify its energy supply by expanding LNG
The parliament voted 494 in favour on Sep- import capacity. What is more, Gazprom’s 55
tember 16, with 103 against and 72 absten- bcm per year Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline should
tions, of a text stating that the EU should “cut be “immediately” halted and “not be put into use
its dependency on Russian gas, oil and other under the current circumstances even if its con-
raw materials, at least while President Putin is struction is completed.”
in power.” The European Green Deal, aimed at The pipeline, it said, was incompatible with
promoting the use of domestic renewable energy EU energy solidarity and undermined the goal
and phasing out the use of fossil fuels, will help of reducing the bloc’s greenhouse gas (GHG)
towards this end, the text stated. emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
Lawmakers also called for the bloc “to estab- Addressing Parliament, the EU’s head of for-
lish an alliance with the US and other like- eign affairs, Josep Borrell, called for a less adver-
minded partners to counterbalance the efforts sarial and more stable relationship with Russia.
of Russia and China to weaken democracy The EU has no official policy to reduce reliance
worldwide and destabilise the European polit- on Russian energy, although if its climate tar-
ical order. It should foresee sanctions, policies gets are reached this would still entail a drop in
to counter illicit financial flows, and support for imports, Borrell said earlier this year.
human rights activists." The parliament also rejected “the notion of
"On Russia's aggression and influence over gas as an alleged intermediate lower-carbon path
the EU's eastern neighbourhood, the EU must towards achieving the EU’s climate goals, con-
continue to support so-called ‘Eastern Partner- sidering Russia’s most recent energy strategy for
ship’ countries such as Ukraine or Georgia, and 2035 envisions an increase in gas export capac-
to promote European reforms and fundamen- ity through pipelines in the western direction.”
tal freedoms in the region," it continued. "These The EU should prepare a sanctions mechanism
efforts should also serve to encourage Russian whereby hostile acts by Russia can trigger an
support for democratic reforms.” EU-level cut in Russian energy imports, the text
The text also stated that the EU should “build read. ™

Week 38 22•September•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P9