EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen is now promising help to countries like Slovakia, which fear for their energy supply in the event of an EU stop for Russian fossil energy. On the way to a ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, Dan Jørgensen says:
- It is clear that we want to do it in a way that no member state will have problems with their security of supply. And we want to keep prices as low as possible. We want to ensure that all countries feel that they are being helped as much as possible by the EU in this effort, he says.
The Danish Commissioner is thus reaching out to countries like Slovakia and Hungary, which are skeptical of the EU Commission's proposal to completely stop buying Russian energy. Both countries are located in Eastern Europe and rely partly on Russian gas and oil for their energy supply.
Last week, Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, went so far as to threaten not to support the EU Commission's proposal for an 18th package of sanctions against Russia unless the Commission finds a solution to the "crisis" Slovakia faces if imports of Russian energy are phased out in the EU.
The Commission is proposing that the 18th package of sanctions should specifically target the Russian energy and banking sectors. Among other things, the proposal is to lower the price ceiling on Russian oil in order to reduce Russian oil earnings.
Has not previously blocked sanctions
Slovakia has not previously blocked sanctions packages, but like Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, Robert Fico does not believe that the sanctions are working as intended.
However, a large number of other EU countries are ready to say goodbye to Russian fossil energy in light of the war in Ukraine. This means that Dan Jørgensen has broad support for his proposal despite criticism from Slovakia and Hungary.
Throughout the more than three years of war, a number of EU countries have continued to send billions of euros to Russia as payment for Russian energy. But now it must end paying into the Russian war machine, says Dan Jørgensen ahead of the negotiations on Monday.
- Today we are sending a very clear signal to Russia. We will no longer let you use your energy as a weapon against us and blackmail our member states. And we will no longer help indirectly finance Putin's war, says Dan Jørgensen.
He expects that it will succeed in creating support for the proposal.
- I have discussed the issue with the member states many times. And I am convinced that we will have very clear support for this important step, says Dan Jørgensen.
Aagard hopes for agreement
Energy Minister Lars Aagaard (M) hopes that it will succeed in landing an agreement on saying goodbye to Russian fossil energy during the Danish EU presidency, which begins on July 1.
- It is an extremely important topic for the Danish EU presidency. We will listen carefully to what the countries say at today's meeting, and then we look forward to receiving the concrete proposals from the EU Commission.
- We want to reach a conclusion before we hand over the presidency to Cyprus, says Lars Aagaard.
The EU Commission is expected to shortly present the legislative proposals that will specifically implement the proposal to say goodbye to Russian gas, oil and nuclear energy.
The EU Commission is expected to shortly present the legislative proposals behind the proposal to say goodbye to Russian gas, oil and nuclear energy.
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