The main energy policy of Europe for ensuring energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is based on the following foundations:
• Reducing the EU’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, mainly from Russia
• Diversifying sources of imported energy to Europe in a sustainable manner
• Investing in clean, renewable, sustainable and affordable energy resources
• Cooperation in the field of hydrogen, solar and green energy in the future
• Providing budget facilities for eligible projects
• Speeding up the licensing process
According to the statement of the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Baltic Sea Summit, the EU is seeking to support regional cooperation initiatives for the use of renewable energies such as wind power with an aim of getting rid of Russia’s fossil fuels.
According to her, offshore wind energy can make a big contribution to it, as such that with the goals set today, the Baltic Sea coastal wind energy will cover the energy consumption of about six million households by 2030, which is more than the total number of households is in Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
According to von der Leyen, if you look at the price of electricity, the main reason for the increase in the price of electricity and gas is mainly Russian gas, which is “manipulated” by that country and gas is used as a “weapon”. The statement of the head of the European Commission, while emphasizing on confronting the increase in electricity prices, considered the climate policy a security policy and noted that investing in the domestic and cheap production of renewable energy makes them independent.
Rich energy resources in Iran, its strategic importance
One of the immediate solutions to get out of the current situation of European countries is to import energy from alternative countries; an issue that has highlighted the importance of oil and gas producing countries for Europe.
Meanwhile, Iran can become a reliable partner in the energy security sector. Cooperation and strategic relations in this field also impose obligations on the European Union. First of all, expanding oil and gas transmission corridor from Iran, which will also require large investments, because it promises new opportunities to diversify energy supply to Europe. On the other hand, Iran’s return to the oil and gas market will force Europe to adopt a rational behavior in the path of realizing the world’s energy security and greatly help the world’s consumers in critical situations.
Considering the serious concerns of the consequences of geopolitical tensions for the world’s economic growth and the possible damage to demand or lack of supply of oil and gas in the coming months, Iran can play an effective role in supplying Europe’s energy needs and even oil and gas swap to Europe if the obstacles and sanctions are removed.
European Union officials have already announced that for the first time, they may impose restrictions on energy consumption in the coming winter due to gas and electricity shortages. Disruption of energy security and intensification of market fluctuations is lose-lose game for all the players in this field.
Due to the increasing importance of environmental issues and adoption of environmentally friendly production approaches, Europe needs to cooperate with its neighboring countries to create a common concept of energy security with a focus on clean fuels. In the economic dimension, considering the amount of energy and transit position of the Caucasus region, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caspian Sea and Iran, Europe needs new investments and development of cooperation to access energy resources. Also, due to the complexity of the legal and decision-making structure of the European Union, (for example in the definition of projects of common interest and distribution of budgetary facilities) and taking into account national incentives and inconsistencies for convergence in decision-making among the member states of the European Union, the energy crisis can undermine the principle of European solidarity. On the other hand, due to the difference in the energy consumption process in different EU member states, the interests of various parties involved and the point that which of the players will ultimately benefit from those projects in the long run, are a matter of debate.
Conclusion
The strategy of reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian oil and gas has increased cooperation and promoted the position of the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus region in the energy security policies of the European Union. Although it is still too early to conclude whether the upcoming energy crisis will be a historical turning point for greater convergence and cooperation between the European Union and neighboring regions, in order to achieve the goals set forth in the 2050 vision of the European Union and considering that all the EU countries have set a target to increase the share of renewable energy and reduce energy dependence, will give a new impetus to the EU’s common foreign and security policy and strengthen the EU’s international cooperation.