'European energy fossils look to the past for energy union' say Greens

A conference on a European energy security strategy is being hosted today (21 May) by Commission President Barroso and Energy Commissioner Oettinger.

At the conference, Polish Prime Minister Tusk is expected to outline his proposals for a European energy union. Commenting on the conference, Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms said: “The renewed recognition of Europe's damaging dependence on energy imports from Russia has underlined the need for a true energy union. However, these three EU energy fossils are set to repackage Europe's outdated energy mix of coal and nuclear power, with a new side-dish of shale gas, and try and serve it up as the future.

"Barroso, Oettinger and Tusk are cynically using the crisis in Ukraine to push their fossil fuel and nuclear agenda. That is the wrong answer: we need an ambitious roll-out of energy saving and efficiency measures, combined with home-grown renewable energy, to reduce our damaging dependence on Russian gas imports. We do need an energy union but not along the lines to be outlined today, instead we need a new pact for secure, safe and sustainable energy production and consumption."

Green energy spokesperson Claude Turmes added: "That Barroso and Oettinger are inviting Donald Tusk of all people to present his vision of European energy security is a bad omen for the coming proposals from the Commission on an EU energy security strategy next week. Tusk's plan will bring European citizens no closer to a clean and secure energy supply.

"The Green alternative - to prioritise measures for energy savings and renewable energy - definitely will. By focusing on homegrown technologies, it will also give a boost to the economy and help create jobs. This would clearly be a better investment in the current difficult economic situation than spending €400 billion per year on fossil fuel imports of which 1/3 goes to Putin's Russia."

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