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The road to European energy independence could start this week
(EurActiv, 7 Mar 2022) The EU’s 5th list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI), which will be voted on this week in the European Parliament, must be reviewed to include a “Russian check” making sure that energy projects that receive priority EU status increase our independence from Russian gas, write a group of MEPs.
The opinion article below is signed by 7 MEPs from the centrist Renew Europe political group in the European Parliament (full list at the bottom).
In the current context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at a time when the European Union intends to accelerate and strengthen its energy independence and when Russian gas represents 40% of our gas supply and 27% of the EU’s crude oil imports, the question of the choice of European investments in energy infrastructures is fundamental for our sovereignty.
It is in this context that the European Parliament is voting this week on the 5th list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI), which contains dozens of gas projects that would represent up to €13 billion of investment, of which a significant part could be European and national public funding.
This 5th list is a list of the past, not relevant any more for two reasons. It lacks both a climate consistency check and a “Russian check” making sure that the list is fit for purpose to increase our independence from Russia.
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EurActiv, 7 Mar 2022: The road to European energy independence could start this week
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