Decoupling from Russia
How independent the EU has become in terms of gas and oil
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 revealed the European Union’s dependence on Russian energy. The EU Commission reacted with the “REPowerEU” program. Its aim is to end Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels from Russia, diversify Europe’s energy supply, increase energy efficiency, and accelerate the energy transition by expanding renewable energies. An interim assessment by the EU Commission in 2024 shows that a natural gas crisis has been successfully averted in the short term. However, after the crisis mode, the expansion of renewable energies and the infrastructure they require is making only slow progress. Competing national interests and a lack of joint coordination, as well as complex financing structures and bureaucratic hurdles, are making it difficult to implement long-term goals. A coherent EU energy policy is still lacking.
(Osteuropa 11-12/2024, pp. 215–228)