Russia is increasingly using itsenergy resources as a political tool, said Gunther Oettinger, the former European commissioner for Energyon Thursday.
Speaking at the European LPG Conference in Berlin,Oettinger criticized Russia and blamed the country forusing energy as a persuasive tacticin international relations.
"Energy should not be a political instrument. Itshould be just a product beyond political profits," Oettinger said, emphasizingthat gas prices for Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria and Moldova are much higher than Germany and France.
Oettinger, who is the currentCommissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, said the energy sector needs one single market where pricing should be the same in all cities in Europe.
"Russia, its neighbors and partners are playing gas prices against Ukraine. Ukraine is our candidatepartner in the European Union and a transit country, so it's really a sensitive point. The energy sector should havea common understanding andapproach on theseissues," he said.
TheEnergy Union Packageunveiled in Brussels on Feb. 25, calls for greatercoordination between EU member states to enablea free flow of energy across borders and a secure supply for EU citizens.
The EU's energy union strategy is apart of the bloc's attempts to reduce its energy dependency on external states, including Russia.
Russia is the main supplier of gas to the EU. The Energy Union seeks to bring together internal energy supplies, to free the EU from dependence onRussiaamid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine andsanctions imposed by the West against key figures in the Russian establishment.
"Europe has to come back to competitiveness. We need new jobs. Energy,which is connected to mobility, plays a central role. Myvision is to come to a digital union - theEuropeanization of digital policies. I invite the LPG industryto join us on this journey, creating an effective connected digital single market," he added.
The EU,the largest energy importer in the world, imports 53 percent of its energyat an annual cost of around €400 billion ($430 billion), according to Eurostat.
- 'LPG tohavemajor role in energy'
Oettinger said that energy efficiency and diversification of sources are the key points for the EU, adding,"LPG industryis apart of our strategy to diversify routes, sources and to reduce dependency on anyone, any country orany gas pipeline. LPG may have a major role in the energy market. Maybe it is not ourmost important source, but it’s a part of the whole picture. Diversification gives LPGa chance to play an increasing role in our future energy policies and in our future energy sources from coal to lignite," he said.
(Anadolu Agency)
