Gas crisis highlights need for energy security say MEPs

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The Russia-Ukraine gas dispute in January exposed the EU's energy dependence on Moscow. Some 17 countries were affected, leaving homes and hospitals without heating and leading to the closure of schools and factories. As MEPs prepare to discuss proposals to raise the share of renewable energy to 60%, we asked 3 MEPs about the effects of the gas dispute in their home countries and about energy policy.

On Monday, MEPs meeting in Strasbourg will debate a report on the "Second Strategic Energy Review", drawn up by French Liberal Anne Laperrouze. It proposes to raise the share of renewable energy to 60% of the total.
 
Disruption caused economic problems
 
Bulgarian Socialist Atanas Paparizov said the abrupt disruption of supplies "affected the heating of hospitals, nurseries and schools" and "many families were left in the cold".  He said, "Companies that depend mainly on gas in the chemical and glass industries have suffered severe losses. However, minimum supplies were ensured by existing gas storage reserves so there was no total break down in production facilities."
 
Slovakian Member Zita Pleštinská for the centre-right EPP-ED group said: "The gas crisis had a huge impact on the Slovak economy...Thousands of companies had to suspend production paying employees only 60% of their pay. This crisis will have a considerable influence on the slowdown of the Slovak economy."
Hungarian Christian Demograt András Gyürk said, Hungary is one of the EU's most exposed countries with regards to gas supply. "Hungarian decision-makers should...take effective measures in order to have more options."
 
Call for more "solidarity"
 
So what can the EU do to avoid a similar crisis? Mr Gyürk says EU countries should cooperate more directly. "The EU's energy policy is still characterized by bilateral talks and private deals. We need to link the Members States' electricity and gas grids and agree on storage capacities to further improve energy solidarity."
 
Mr Paparizov wants the focus to be on energy security. "A common European Gas market based on adequate infrastructure and storage capacity and obligatory strategic reserves coupled with Member States' solidarity is the only possible basis for secured energy supplies," he said.
 
Ms Plestinska takes a hard line: "The unprecedented breach of contracts on deliveries of gas to the EU should be strongly condemned. We must remind our Ukrainian counterparts that solidarity plays a great part in the relationship among the EU member states. Thanks to Germany, Slovakia was able to receive gas from Germany through the Czech Republic."