EU countries must prepare for long-term disruptions in energy markets as a result of the war in the Middle East. This is what EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen wrote in a letter to member state governments, which Reuters and the media outlet Euronews have seen.
EU countries are "called on to make timely preparations in anticipation of a possible long-term disruption". According to Euronews, the Commissioner is calling on member states to make plans to reduce their consumption of oil and gas - especially in the transport sector.
At the same time, Dan Jørgensen is asking EU energy ministers to make statements about the current capacity in their energy markets. They must also come up with suggestions on how to limit the demand for energy.
The letter is dated March 30 and has been sent ahead of a meeting of EU energy ministers on Tuesday on the disruptions in global energy markets.
War has sent shockwaves through energy markets
The war in the Middle East - which initially affected Iran, Israel and the United States, but which has since spread to a number of oil and gas-producing countries in the region - has sent the prices of oil and natural gas soaring.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman in particular has affected global energy prices. Under normal circumstances, 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas are shipped via the Strait of Hormuz.
However, according to Reuters, the EU countries' supply of crude oil and natural gas is not directly affected by the war in the Middle East, as the countries import the majority of these energy sources from countries outside the Middle East.
The EU countries import crude oil and natural gas from, among others, the United States and Norway. However, according to Dan Jørgensen, the EU is concerned in the short term about Europe's supply of refined petroleum products such as jet fuel and diesel.
The governments in the EU must therefore avoid increasing fuel consumption and limit trade in petroleum products, the letter says.
/ritzau/
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