Brussels – No second thoughts and no backtracking on the ban on Russian gas and oil imports. The European Commission is determined to stand its ground, even in the face of the repercussions of the US and Israeli war in Iran on energy prices. It is the European Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, who has dispelled any doubts and speculation in response to the European Parliament’s requests for clarification.
Fabio De Masi, a German MEP sitting as an independent, claims in a parliamentary question that oil prices “have skyrocketed” as a result of the war in Iran. Added to this is the risk of reduction in liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which “could cause further price shocks in the European energy market.” Faced with this situation, “is the Commission reconsidering its decision to end energy supplies from Russia?”
This is where Hoekstra’s response comes in: “The Commission believes that the EU must continue along the path it has taken with its long-term strategy of diversification, decarbonisation, and the phasing out of Russian fossil fuels.” In this regard, he emphasises, “to abandon it would make the EU more dependent, more vulnerable, and weaker.”
So, no concessions to Moscow and full steam ahead with the ban on Russian oil and gas imports. The Climate Commissioner’s response could not have been clearer. Faced with the risk of energy shocks in the form of supply disruptions and soaring bills, the EU executive is nevertheless open to exploring measures that could facilitate purchases from other third countries: on 18 March this year, Hoekstra recalls, precisely in response to the
conflict in the Middle East and its impact on global energy markets, “the Commission published an updated guidance on the implementation of the RepowerEU Regulation, with a view to reducing any unnecessary barriers to imports of non-Russian gas into the EU”. Yes to foreign gas, but no to Gazprom’s: this is the European Commission’s stance and policy in response to the repercussions of the war in Iran and to remain true to its anti-Russian rhetoric and actions. In the name of supporting Ukraine, and in the wake of the course charted by Mario Draghi during his time as Italian Prime Minister.
