Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.12
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The European Parliament will debate the gas supply security regulation on September 12, said the message on the European Parliament’s website.
“Member states facing a gas supply crisis will be able to count on help from neighboring countries under new rules informally agreed by MEPs and ministers to strengthen the security of gas supplies across the EU. The rules will be debated on Tuesday morning and put to Parliament’s final vote on the same day at noon,” said the message.
Any EU country faced with a gas supply crisis will be able to alert the others and thus trigger cross-border assistance to prevent cuts.
The emergency alert regulation is the second piece of Energy Union legislation to come before Parliament. The first, laying down common rules on EU member states’ energy deals with third countries, was approved by Parliament in March.
The new rules should take effect before winter sets in.
The EU imports more than half of all the energy it consumes. Its import dependency is particularly high for crude oil (more than 90 percent) and natural gas (66 percent). The total import bill is more than 1 billion euros per day.
In response to these concerns, the European Commission released its Energy Security Strategy in May 2014. The Strategy aims to ensure a stable and abundant supply of energy for European citizens and the economy.
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