Towards a More Energy Independent EU: Exploiting Indigenous Potential in the Gas Sector

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has triggered anxiety in the EU over the stability of gas imports from its main supplier, Russia. Improving the EU’s self-sufficiency in terms of energy has already been indicated in the recent European Energy Security Strategy (EESS). Therefore, the EU should realise that it must not only diversify its gas supplies sources, but also exploit indigenous energy sources and develop up to date gas technologies. In the longer term, these efforts could contribute visibly to the EU’s energy security, and to its economic competitiveness, but they do require significant financial investment and firm commitment.