Despite efforts from the EU to reduce dependence on Russian energy sources , the continent ’s reliance on Russian gas is growing . Italy is now the second largest buyer of Russian natural gas , while Germany is the first . The Nord Stream is the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world and it is extremely important for both Moscow and Berlin since it avoids passing through the Baltic Republics, Belarus and Polonia, cutting down costs and avoiding any political interference. The low price of Russian gas , as well as its reliability as a supplier , present a major challenge to diversification efforts . Liquefied gas does not depend so heavily on Russia , but incurs great expense in terms of regasification costs . North Africa as a supplier is not nearly as reliable due to instability in the region , while North Sea supplies are scarce .
Despite efforts from the EU to reduce dependence on Russian energy sources , the continent ’s reliance on Russian gas is growing . Italy is now the second largest buyer of Russian natural gas , while Germany is the first . The low price of Russian gas , as well as its reliability as a supplier , present a major challenge to diversification efforts . Liquefied gas does not depend so heavily on Russia , but incurs great expense in terms of regasification costs . North Africa as a supplier is not nearly as reliable due to instability in the region , while North Sea supplies are scarce .