Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Worst-hit EU states get least in post-gas crisis plan

  • The EU is to fund more gas pipelines to avoid another deep freeze when Russia turns off the tap (Photo: Naftogaz of Ukraine)

The European Commission on Wednesday (28 December) proposed investing €5 billion of unspent EU money in energy and broadband infrastructure projects, as a response to the recent gas crisis.

Out of the €5 billion, €3.5 billion were earmarked for new gas pipelines and electricity networks which would inter-connect member states, as well as for offshore wind projects and carbon capture facilities.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"The recent events with Russia and Ukraine show how important it is to achieve a greater level of energy security. The gas crisis has clearly shown the vulnerability of the European Union and I think we should respond in a coordinated way," commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said, while calling on member states to adopt the proposals at the next EU summit on 19 March.

A look at the listed projects disclosed a preference for bigger and influent countries, while smaller countries such as Bulgaria and Slovakia, which were worst affected by the gas cuts, got only minimal sums: €20 million for a Bulgaria-Greece gas pipeline and €25 million for one connecting Slovakia with Hungary.

By contrast, Poland got €80 million for an own liquified gas terminal, €250 for carbon capture and storage facilities and €300 million shared with other countries for gas pipelines and offshore wind projects. Countries like France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain also got over €100 million each for regional gas and electricity projects.

Asked how why the worst affected Eastern European countries received so little, Mr Barroso replied that these countries did get "a lot," since most projects were transational.

"We shouldn't consider this plan as having as beneficiaries only the countries where the investment is taking place. If we have a real internal market working from East to West and from West to East, it will be possible, in case there will be a disruption due to external political or technical problems, for the others to come and help the country out," he argued.

However, he did concede that a certain "geographical balance" was needed in order to ensure the approval of the package by all member states who still have to greenlight the project list.

"It is not just about Eastern Europe, but Europe as a whole," he concluded.

The Czech Republic, currently chairing the rotating EU presidency and also affected by the Russian gas cuts, was listed with only €25 million for expanding its gas storage facilities.

Symbolic contribution to Nabucco

The Commission also earmarked €250 million for Nabucco, a politically sensitive project, since it would bypass Russia and deliver Caspian gas directly to European consumers.

Mr Barroso said the commission always supported this project as part of its energy diversification policy. The EU executive now gave its "contribution," but it was up to member states and private companies to follow with more substantial sums. The total cost of the project is estimated at roughly €8 billion.

The EU's €250 million would not be directly allocated to the construction of the pipeline, but would be used as a "risk-sharing facility" with the European Investment Bank in order to raise loans for the project at better rates than the current economic downturn allows.

"It's not a big proportion of what Nabucco is eventually going to cost, but symbolically it still matters that the EU decides to use part of its own budget for supporting Nabucco," Niklas Nilsson, an expert on EU energy security issues affiliated with Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Stockholm told this website.

"Symbolically, the EU starts to realise that you need political decisions in order to accomplish these things. All pipelines in this region will be political pipelines."

Apart from the energy projects, the EU package also included €1 billion for expanding and upgrading high-speed internet in villages, with further €500 million earmarked for ecological projects in rural areas.

"Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told

Italian central banker Piero Cipollone in his first monetary policy speech since joining the ECB's board in November, said that the bank should be ready to "swiftly dial back our restrictive monetary policy stance."

Podcast

Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza

This week's Euroscopic explores the consequences of Moscow's terror attack, the convergence of public safety and border/migration policy in an EU election year, and the United Nations Security resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Investigation

How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route

Psychotropic drug abuse is one of the many dangers migrants face along the Balkan route. In overcrowded camps, doctors prescribe tranquilisers to calm people down. And black market circuits and pharmacies selling drugs without prescription contribute to the issue.

Podcast

Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza

This week's Euroscopic explores the consequences of Moscow's terror attack, the convergence of public safety and border/migration policy in an EU election year, and the United Nations Security resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Latest News

  1. "Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told
  2. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  3. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  4. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  5. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  6. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating
  7. Syrian mayor in Germany speaks out against AfD
  8. Asian workers pay price for EU ship recycling

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us