Baltic states aim to escape Russia's energy shadow with EU ties
Monday, 8 December 2008
TALLINN, Dec 7 (AFP): Long in the shadow of their Soviet-era master Moscow, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania want to step up a drive to end their energy market isolation within the 27-nation EU.
"The Baltic states want to be linked quickly to the EU energy market. That will considerably increase energy security in the Baltic region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told the agency.
Electricity grids in the Baltic states dating from the pre- 1991 Soviet era have left the region plugged into the Russian network, leading the three nations to be dubbed "energy islands" in the European Union, which they joined in 2004.
The three states are pressing the rest of the EU to forge a common energy policy at a time when concerns have mounted about Russia's use of its supply dominance on the oil and has market as a tool to influence ex-communist countries.
Along with Poland, they perceive they have been sidelined by EU member Germany, whose energy firms EON and BASF are working hand-in-hand with Russian giant Gazprom to lay a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea.
The plan is to pipe natural gas under the Baltic Sea from Vyborg in Russia to Greifswald in Germany, by 2011, to supply energy-hungry western Europe - - bypassing states in eastern Europe which are on traditional transit routes.
Beyond the political fears over Moscow's market clout, there are worries that Russian reserves are not a long-term option for meeting EU needs.
"In the long run the electricity grids must be made independent of the Russian network for both technical and security reasons," Paet said.
"The best way to realise these projects would be with aid from the resources of EU programmes," he said.
"It is also essential to build the so-called Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia in order to reduce the dependence of the Baltic states on Russian supplies, which as we have seen are not always sufficient to meet the needs of Russia itself as well as Europe," he added.
Only recently have moves finally been made to establish energy ties from Baltic states to the north and south.
An undersea cable linking Estonia to Finland went online in January 2007.
By the end of this year the Baltic trio are meant to decide which of the three countries will be the hub for another cable to Sweden.
The Baltic trio's leaders gathered in Estonia last month and agreed to step up common efforts to integrate the Baltic and Nordic power markets by 2013.
And during an energy-focused gathering in Finland last week European Commissioner Olli Rehn-who hails from that country-acknowledged it was time for more.
"The Baltic states want to be linked quickly to the EU energy market. That will considerably increase energy security in the Baltic region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told the agency.
Electricity grids in the Baltic states dating from the pre- 1991 Soviet era have left the region plugged into the Russian network, leading the three nations to be dubbed "energy islands" in the European Union, which they joined in 2004.
The three states are pressing the rest of the EU to forge a common energy policy at a time when concerns have mounted about Russia's use of its supply dominance on the oil and has market as a tool to influence ex-communist countries.
Along with Poland, they perceive they have been sidelined by EU member Germany, whose energy firms EON and BASF are working hand-in-hand with Russian giant Gazprom to lay a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea.
The plan is to pipe natural gas under the Baltic Sea from Vyborg in Russia to Greifswald in Germany, by 2011, to supply energy-hungry western Europe - - bypassing states in eastern Europe which are on traditional transit routes.
Beyond the political fears over Moscow's market clout, there are worries that Russian reserves are not a long-term option for meeting EU needs.
"In the long run the electricity grids must be made independent of the Russian network for both technical and security reasons," Paet said.
"The best way to realise these projects would be with aid from the resources of EU programmes," he said.
"It is also essential to build the so-called Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia in order to reduce the dependence of the Baltic states on Russian supplies, which as we have seen are not always sufficient to meet the needs of Russia itself as well as Europe," he added.
Only recently have moves finally been made to establish energy ties from Baltic states to the north and south.
An undersea cable linking Estonia to Finland went online in January 2007.
By the end of this year the Baltic trio are meant to decide which of the three countries will be the hub for another cable to Sweden.
The Baltic trio's leaders gathered in Estonia last month and agreed to step up common efforts to integrate the Baltic and Nordic power markets by 2013.
And during an energy-focused gathering in Finland last week European Commissioner Olli Rehn-who hails from that country-acknowledged it was time for more.