EU Urges Member States to Prepare for Long-Term Energy Supply Disruptions: What You Need to Know

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Fuel depot in Brussels, Belgium[EPA/Yonhap file photo — resale or database use prohibited][EPA/Yonhap file photo — resale or database use prohibited]

The European Union has urged member states to prepare for prolonged energy supply disruptions and to coordinate their responses.

However, Executive Vice President for Energy Jorgensen said in a statement issued ahead of an emergency video conference with member-state energy ministers on the 31st (local time) that, while the EU’s energy security remains intact, officials must prepare for the possibility of prolonged disruptions to international energy trade.

Jorgensen called on national governments to take timely, coordinated steps to secure supplies of petroleum products, including crude oil, aviation fuel and diesel.

In a previous letter to energy ministers, he also urged countries to adopt measures to voluntarily reduce oil demand, especially in the transport sector.

Politico Europe suggested this could translate into requests for citizens to cut nonessential car trips and flights in order to conserve fuel.

He added that a single member state’s policies can have cross-border effects, so mutual cooperation is essential to preserve consistency across the EU.

Preliminary data show eurozone inflation — among the 21 countries that use the euro — rose 2.5% in March amid surging energy prices, underscoring how the energy fallout from the Middle East war is materializing. So far, however, the EU has not enacted mandatory measures to reduce fuel demand.

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Hye-jun Lim (junelim@yna.co.kr)