Title: Europe's Strategic Dependence on Russian Energy | The Heritage Foundation
Headings: Europe's Strategic Dependence on Russian Energy
Europe's Strategic Dependence on Russian Energy
Ariel Cohen
Director, CENRG and Senior Fellow, IAGS
Energy Dependence on Russia
Implications for European Energy Security
Policy Implications for the United States
Authors
Ariel Cohen
Subscribe to email updates

Content: First, to ensure security of supply, the EU needs to "diversif [y]…energy sources and transport routes, and better systems for responding to crises." [ 2] Second, the EU should promote international energy policy by "negotiating a new treaty framework for energy co-operation with Russia, and improving relations with energy-rich countries in Central Asia and North Africa." The EU also proclaims that it wants to improve its ability to manage supply crises, to expand the energy grid connecting European countries, and to improve the functioning of the internal energy market. [ 3]
In practice, some European countries depend heavily on energy imports and are highly vulnerable to global energy shocks. The EU is the world's largest importer of oil and gas. It imports 82 percent of its oil and 57 percent of its gas. Imports are projected to rise to 93 percent of its oil and 84 percent of its gas over the next 25 years. [ 4]
With Russia consolidating its control of European and Central Asian energy, and in view of Europe's dependence on the Persian Gulf, Europe desperately needs to cooperate on energy security. Europe and the U.S. should work together to mitigate the adverse effects of Europe's strategic dependence on Russia. In particular, the U.S. should: