The Vice President of the EC’s energy portfolio is one of the ten top priorities of the European Union. Global Energy Security means securing the whole of the EU with electricity, gas and oil to the extent that Europe will become independent and self-sufficient.
The Vice President tries to visit all of the senior politicians from each member state of the EU, and each different government to discuss Energy Union with them. With clear minds, concluding a typical proposal takes around three years.
Portugal, Spain and Italy are countries which have still not fully recovered from the economic crisis. We have seen huge turmoil among the parties of the United Kingdom, which culminated in Brexit. Germany has been developing wind energy and is seeking to have 100% natural energy in the future. In additional, the Acer splitting zone between Germany and Austria has been set up with the goal of achieving a security network and network expansion; there is also an intra-state agreement between Germany and the North Sea states.
A new electricity model for a better energy environment in Europe which would benefit each member of EU could be achieved simply by one-to-one sharing of energy to the extent of self-sufficiency.
At present, the EU has already reduced the greenhouse effect by 25% greenhouse; by 2018, the EU hopes to achieve the goal of a further decrease by the next 20%. Furthermore, by 2050 the EU seeks to establish a fully carbon neutral economy – but for this highest goal, we will have to reassure business communities to secure their cooperation with the European Union. These projects are in the top 20 goals of the EU. In addition, the EU is developing new technologies and trying to sell them to less developed countries.
Together we, are a major energy power, but divided, we are nothing.
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, is seeking to have better dialogue with people and establish energy security as a priority element.
The best tool of the EU is our diversity; we can utilise this diversity for interconnection as never before. We have the North Stream Project to address today’s unfair pricing, and the bad of infrastructure which needs to be ameliorated to provide a better connection for gas streams in the future. However, it is a very dangerous project, principally because of the Ukraine crisis, which makes it very difficult for the IMF and World Bank to achieve self-sufficient gas energy production in the northern territory.
We have to see gas as a commodity rather than as a political tool. Together we, are a major energy power, but divided, we are nothing. Currently, we are facing the challenges of globalisation, which is occurring more rapidly than ever before. In the Vice President’s lifetime, we thought in terms of national markets, but in our generation we are dealing with a global market, to which we have to adapt quickly in order to meet the challenges of the new world.
Energy Union is all about achieving a self-sufficient Europe. It is about tackling climate change, improving and strengthening our position in the global market and reducing to a minimum any imports of gas, oil, etc. … Moreover, Europe is trying to achieve renewable energy at a low price for all European countries.
*Talk with Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President of the EC and Commissioner for the EU Energy Union on ‘Global Energy Security and the Implications for the EU: Evolving Dynamics, Policy Dilemmas and Prospects’ held at Brussels, Belgium and provided by GlobalLearning.
