“The European Commission emphasizes that the termination of the transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian gas transport system did not affect the energy security of the countries of the region, nor consumer prices on the market.”, — write: epravda.com.ua
The European Commission emphasizes that the termination of the transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian gas transport system did not affect the energy security of the countries of the region, nor consumer prices on the market. During the briefing, the representative of the European Commission, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, announced this, commenting on the possible consequences for the EU member states, in particular for Slovakia, of the decision taken by Kyiv to stop the transit, reports Interfax-Ukraine. “It happened as expected. We have been working intensively with our member countries for more than a year, as well as with Ukraine, to prepare in advance for such a scenario. Last week, a meeting of the extraordinary gas coordination group was held to assess the consequences of the end of the transit agreement , which concluded that there are no issues or concerns about security of supply for the European Union after the end of transit.In terms of prices, the markets have already factored this in and we have not seen price spikes in the in the new year,” she said.Advertisement: According to Itkonen, market fundamentals remain stable. “Demand remains restrained at the level of about 18% compared to the pre-crisis level, as well as (gas) storage levels are also above the pre-crisis level,” she clarified. In addition, the representative of the European Commission reminded that an important factor in maintaining the stability of energy security in the EU is that “record levels of renewable energy sources in Europe” were deployed. At the same time, Itkonen reported that with the onset of the cold months, the European Commission “closely monitors the member states to also control the situation with prices.” Advertisement: She did not confirm the meeting in Brussels previously announced by the prime minister of Slovakia. “The commission remains in close and constant contact with all our member countries. I have nothing to announce about the meeting,” Itkonen said. We will remind: Slovakia will consider appropriate measures against Ukraine, such as the termination of backup electricity supplies after January 1, if Kyiv is expected to stop the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico wrote a letter to the head of the European Council, Antonio Košta, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in which he again complains about Ukraine’s refusal to continue the transit of Russian gas after 2024.