EU Warns Russia Against Using Energy For Political Purposes

ENERGY TECH

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

by Staff Writers
Vilnius (RIA Novosti) Apr 26, 2007
EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and European MPs have urged Russia to abandon using energy as a political weapon and resume oil supplies to Lithuania. They adopted a joint statement saying that Russia and the EU are mutually dependent on energy, and that the majority of problems arise from political disagreements.

Piebalgs told MPs in Strasbourg he intended to pressure Russia into ratifying the Energy Charter, adding he had received a letter from the Russian Industry and Energy Minister expressing hope that oil supplies along the Druzhba pipeline to Lithuania's Mazeikiu nafta refinery will be resumed in the near future.

Leaders of the 25-nation EU, increasingly concerned over energy security, are pushing for Russia to sign the Energy Charter, which would compel the country to open up its vast reserves and pipelines to European companies and to provide safeguards for investors.

EU officials have reportedly warned they will add the main clauses of the charter in the new PCA Treaty draft if Russia does not sign the energy document. Moscow has so far resisted, saying the agreement runs counter to its interests.

The European Union, which imports more than a quarter of its oil and natural gas from Russia via Ukrainian pipelines, faced a brief disruption last winter when Moscow suspended gas deliveries to Ukraine over a price dispute, sparking doubts over Russia's reliability as a supplier.

However, Russia, which has restricted European companies' access to its energy sector, insists that energy security works both ways, and wants Europe to offer purchase safeguards for its energy if it wants Russian producers to guarantee steady deliveries.

President Vladimir Putin, who met with EU leaders at an informal summit in the Finnish town of Lahti last October, assured them that Russia was a reliable energy supplier, but reiterated his refusal to sign the charter in its current form.

Last July, an oil spill on the western section of the Druzhba pipeline caused shipments to Mazeikiu nafta to be suspended.

Lithuania has accused Moscow of dragging its feet on the repair work, which is ongoing.

Russia's continued suspension of crude supplies to the refinery was seen by analysts as a punitive measure following the Lithuanian government's decision to sell it to PKN Orlen, rejecting Russian bids.

Poland is currently pressuring Russia to sign an international energy treaty entailing supply guarantees.

Russia's energy spats with Belarus and Ukraine have undermined its reputation as a reliable energy supplier and drawn accusations that it is using energy resources as a political lever.

Source: RIA Novosti

Email This Article

ENERGY TECH

Ethiopia Seeks Seized Chinese Oil Workers As Toll Rises

Addis Ababa (AFP) Apr 25, 2007
Ethiopia searched for up to seven seized Chinese oil workers Wednesday after an attack on a Chinese-run oil venture which killed 77 people, according to a new toll.

ENERGY TECH Rapid-Fire Pulse Brings Sandia Z Method Closer To Goal Of High-Yield Fusion Reactor New Transmission Needed To Support Growing Texas Wind Generation Capacity Ethiopia Says Eritrea Behind Chinese Oil Facility Bloodbath Ethiopia Seeks Seized Chinese Oil Workers As Toll Rises	CIVIL NUCLEAR Russia Nuclear Power Paradox Nuclear Power Not The Solution For China Says Official Floating NPP Will Be Safer Russian Built Reactor Block 1 Powers Up In China
BLUE SKY Satellites Offer Sunny Outlook On Understanding Polar Climate With Help Of Cloudy Skies No Easy Solution To Indonesian Haze Problem NASA Aims To Clear Up Mystery Of Elusive Clouds At Edge Of Space University Of Colorado Instruments To Launch On NASA Cloud Mission	WOOD PILE How To Manage Forests In Hurricane Impact Zones Museveni Defends Plans To Transfer Ugandan Forests To Indian Group Greater Use Of Biofuels Threatens Rain Forests Soybean Planting Hastens Drying Of Amazonia
FARM NEWS Researcher Finds Negative Effects Of Colonization On Slash-And-Burn Farming In Borneo More Nutritious And Less Toxic Gates Grant To Help Poor Countries Contribute To Doomsday Seed Vault Winter Flounder On The Fast Track To Recovery	CAR TECH Driverless Car Goes On Show In London Made In USA Losing Cachet Technique Creates Metal Memory And Could Lead To Vanishing Dents Geneva Show Hints At Green Fuel Jumble For Motorists
AEROSPACE Australia Fears Jet Flight Guilt Could Hit Tourism New FAA Oceanic Air Traffic System Designed By Lockheed Martin Fully Operational Nondestructive Testing Keeps Bagram Aircraft Flying NASA Seeks New Research Proposals	NUCLEAR SPACE Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement