Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. European energy security strategy

The European Union's prosperity and security hinges on a stable and abundant supply of energy. The fact that citizens in most Member States have not had to experience any lasting disruption of their energy supply since the oil crises of the 1970s is a testimony of the success of the Member States and the EU in guaranteeing this. For most citizens, energy is available "on tap", it is ubiquitous and un-intrusive. This has a major influence on the factors that affect national decisions on energy policy, with security of supply not being on par with other considerations.

Nevertheless, in the winters of 2006 and 2009, temporary disruptions of gas supplies strongly hit EU citizens in some of the eastern Member States. This was a stark "wake up call" pointing to the need for a common European energy policy. Since then, a lot has been done in order to strengthen the EU's energy security in terms of gas supplies and to reduce the number of Member States that are exclusively dependent on one single supplier. Yet despite all the achievements in strengthening its infrastructure and diversifying its suppliers, the EU remains vulnerable to external energy shocks.

The EU needs, therefore, a hard-headed strategy for energy security which promotes resilience to these shocks and disruptions to energy supplies in the short term and reduced dependency on particular fuels, energy suppliers and routes in the long-term. Policy makers at national and EU level must make clear to citizens the choices reducing this dependency implies.

The Strategy described in this Communication builds on a number of strengths and lessons learnt from the application of current policies as well as from the effectiveness of the Union's response to previous energy supply crises: Europe has made significant progress towards completion of the energy internal market with increased interconnections; it has one of the best records worldwide in terms of energy intensity and a more balanced energy mix than its major partners.

However, too often energy security issues are addressed only at a national level without taking fully into account the interdependence of Member States. The key to improved energy security lies first in a more collective approach through a functioning internal market and greater cooperation at regional and European levels, in particular for coordinating network developments and opening up markets, and second, in a more coherent external action. This includes ensuring through the enlargement instruments that these guiding principles are followed by candidate countries and potential candidates.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)330: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:330:FIN

ESO: Background information: Energy security: Commission puts forward comprehensive strategy to strengthen security of supply http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-energy-security-commission-puts-forward-comprehensive-strategy-to-strengthen-security-of-supply/

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