EU Commission President: "Reduce Dependence on Russian Energy by 2027 to Achieve Independence"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The European Union (EU) announced that it plans to reduce its dependence on energy imports from Russia, including natural gas, and achieve independence by 2027. This strategy is interpreted as an effort to lower fossil fuel dependence in light of the difficulty in imposing active energy import sanctions despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg and other sources on the 10th (local time), Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated on her social media after the EU emergency summit held that day, "The EU plans to seek member states' consent to gradually reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and achieve independence by 2027," adding, "By the end of this month, we also plan to propose emergency measures, including temporary price controls, to curb the soaring gas prices from being passed on to electricity bills."

Earlier, the European Commission announced a comprehensive strategic plan for EU member states to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. According to this energy strategy, the EU aims to cover two-thirds of the gas imported from Russia this year alone through securing new energy sources, promoting renewable energy, and strengthening energy-saving measures.

The European Commission is seeking active participation from member states in preparing detailed regulations to realize this plan. By mid-May, it plans to establish structural reform measures to promote decarbonization in the electricity market. Previously, led by France, the EU requested a reconsideration of the electricity market structure to increase the share of clean energy sources in power generation.

Additionally, the European Commission is reportedly preparing measures to replenish Europe's depleted gas supplies in preparation for the next winter and plans to propose alternatives to the EU's gas storage policy.

However, due to significant disparities in dependence on Russian energy among EU member countries and ongoing opposition from Eastern European countries with high reliance on thermal power generation, it remains uncertain whether an agreement will be reached. The EU has so far received over 40% of its total natural gas demand from Russia and is also heavily dependent on coal and oil.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.