As energy markets are increasingly global and much of the world’s gas and oil reserves are in unstable and often undemocratic parts of the world, energy policy progressively moves into the realm of foreign affairs.

When the European Parliament adopted by an overwhelming majority the report calling for a common foreign policy on energy security in September last year, it was clear that efforts taken at a national level had proved insufficient and inadequate and that they did not guarantee the long-term interests of the whole Union. Exclusive bilateral agreements constitute a sub-optimal solution for both exporting and importing countries. The Union should take intellectual leadership in advocating a multilateral approach to open energy markets. To serve as an example, the EU must speak with one voice when dealing with strategic energy matters and avoid bilateral deals with third parties that might create new divisions in Europe and further increase EU’s energy supply dependency.

The EU has to take concrete steps aimed at diversification of gas and oil sources and supply and lower its dependency on a limited number of suppliers. The EU needs a proactive energy policy strengthening the Union’s co-operation with a variety of global producer and transit countries based on the principle of reciprocity. For that the Union must be equipped with independent gas and oil corridors as quickly as possible to increase the number of partners. Most importantly, a common energy policy must be based on the principle of solidarity. In the energy context, solidarity would equal the obligation to assist all of those states which are endangered or in difficulty, including problems from supply shortages.

But if we want to realise our ambitions, we have to move beyond mere declarations. The Union should establish new sources for financing all of the undertakings aimed at increasing the EU’s energy security.

The member states should extend the EU joint action to the energy field as quickly as possible and take concrete steps aimed at implementation of this proactive energy policy, while taking into account the political and economic interests of all the member states and significantly reducing the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels from a few big suppliers.

Obviously the common foreign energy policy should benefit all the member states involved, while keeping their sovereignty as to their strategic choices concerning energy mix intact.

But an external energy policy largely depends on having a robust internal policy in the area. We therefore also need to take ambitious measures at home. The European Commission should speed up its efforts to complete the creation of a single gas market based on the principle of transparency and reciprocity as soon as possible while simultaneously taking all possible steps aimed at promoting transparency and improved governance in the energy sector through energy partnership with third countries, with the objective of creating mutually beneficial, open, transparent, non-discriminatory and stable legal conditions for energy investment and trade. We have to step up investments to make the transmission grid more efficient and secure and create functional inter-connectors between electricity grids and pipeline networks.

Simultaneously we should think about energy efficiency. In this context one has to welcome the Commission’s intention to put forward a proposal for a new international agreement towards promoting energy efficiency in order to develop common global efforts towards promoting energy efficiency.

Energy security becomes so important that it is high time we took the challenge seriously. We do not have time for half-measures. In the long term we should think about establishing a common external energy policy addressing properly environmental concerns which would constitute a milestone in the EU integration process, corresponding to its ambition and resulting in tangible benefits for all European citizens.