4h ago
13.20 BST
EU must
scale up 'homegrown' renewable energy as war in Iran continues, European
Commission president says
Jennifer
Rankin
The EU
needs to intensify the shift to “homegrown” and “reliable” renewable and
nuclear energy, after the war in the Middle East added €22bn to its
energy-import bill, the head of the European Commission said Monday.
Speaking
to reporters in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen promised a strategy next
Wednesday outlining how the EU could contain the economic fallout from 44 days
of turmoil in the Middle East, which began when the US and Israel launched
strikes on Iran in late February.
Reflecting
the uncertainty after the weekend’s inconclusive talks between the US and Iran
– and Donald Trump’s subsequent social media posts – von der Leyen observed
that “negotiations have been stalled now and we have to say how things go”.
Any
agreement, she said, would have to address concerns raised by Iran’s nuclear
and ballistic missile programme and the strait of Hormuz, as she said “the
restoration of the freedom of navigation is of paramount importance for us”.
EU
leaders remain concerned about Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and she called on
“all parties” to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and to implement a complete
cessation of hostilities. “You cannot have stability in the Middle East or the
Gulf while Lebanon is in flames.”
Most of
her remarks were focused on the EU’s internal agenda in response to soaring
energy prices. Von der Leyen said that during 44 days the EU’s import bill for
fossil fuels had increased by more than €22bn, with “not a single molecule of
energy in addition”.
She said
the EU was paying “a high price for our over-dependency on fossil fuels” but
went on to say that Europe had assets.
“We have
the electricity that is produced in Europe, from renewables and from nuclear.
And therefore our strategy to decarbonise has not only been confirmed in the
last years, but is growing in importance day by day. And our objective is very
clear. We need to scale up the homegrown, affordable, reliable energy,” von der
Leyen said.
She said
the EU’s 27 member states need to coordinate on gas storage filling and
releasing oil stocks. The European Commission would consult countries on
greater flexibility in state aid, rules governing subsidies and other support.
She urged faster progress to agree on an EU draft law on grids that would help
the shift to renewable energy, while also promising an electrification strategy
and calling for governments to implement more energy-saving measures.
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