On September 2, Russia announced that it will switch off Europe’s main gas pipeline until sanctions are lifted, speeding up the EU search for alternatives to fend off the energy crisis. Tomorrow, an Extraordinary Energy Council meeting will gather to discuss emergency measures to mitigate high energy prices, such as the decoupling of electricity and gas prices and to see how the EU can best prepare for the winter. The war in Ukraine has pushed the issue of energy dependency to the forefront, prompting the EU to take concrete actions to curb its energy imports from Russia and promote diversification.  

In March, the Commission proposed a landmark joint European action entitled REPowerEU to reduce fossil fuel imports from Russia by two thirds in 2022, with the goal of making Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels before 2030 in line with the objectives of the Fit for 55 package. Additionally, the European Commission proposed this week a price cap on Russian gas, as well as measures including a mandatory EU cut in electricity use and a cap on the revenue of non-gas power generators. 

In May, European leaders decided to ban almost 90% of all Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, while in June the Council adopted the gas storage regulation that aims to improve the EU’s security of supply. The regulation states that Members States will ensure their gas storage facilities are filled before winter and share storage facilities in a spirit of solidarity. In August, the Council adopted a regulation on a voluntary gas reduction demand by 15%. 

In April 2022, the European Parliament issued a resolution on Ukraine calling for an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and gas, and for both Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines to be completely abandoned, accompanied by a plan to continue ensuring the EU’s security of energy supply in the short-term.  

Key Texts 

European Commission: REPowerEU Plan 

European Parliament: Resolution on the consequences for the EU of the Russian war in Ukraine 

Council of the EU: Energy prices and security of supply 

Upcoming Dates 

9 September: Extraordinary Energy Council  

14 September: State of the Union (SOTEU) address  

The European Movement International position

As we outline in our policy recommendations in response to Putin’s war of aggression, the European Movement International calls for a strengthening of the EU’s strategic autonomy by decoupling its energy needs from regimes that violate the EU’s fundamental values and by pursuing the implementation of the European Green Deal to make Europe climate neutral by mid-century. Energy is a necessity for all Europeans, and clean, safe and most importantly affordable energy needs to be guaranteed to every European citizen and resident. However, this should not come at the detriment of our fight towards climate neutrality.  

In our policy position on the European Green Deal we argue that investment in renewable energies and energy-efficient solutions is key to gradually phasing out fossil fuels. To support this transformation, Member States need to modernise energy-intensive industries, including steel and chemicals, and decarbonise the transport and heating sector. Moreover, carbon taxes, a tax on financial transactions, a digital tax and other fair and environmentally ambitious levies offer a way for the EU to speed up its climate efforts.