EU calls emergency talks on Russia-Ukraine gas row

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union on Friday called an
emergency meeting of member states’ energy officials on January
4 amid fears its natural gas supplies might be disrupted as a
result of a dispute between Russia and Ukraine.

“The idea is to be ready for all eventualities and to have
a common approach,” said European Commission spokesman Amadeu
Altafaj Tardio. The meeting will be chaired by Energy
Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

The EU buys 25 percent of its gas supplies from Russia’s
state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom, and most of this is
transported through Ukrainian pipelines.

Gazprom has threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine
from January 1 unless Kiev agrees to a huge price increase,
prompting concern in some EU states that their supplies of
Russian gas could suffer as a result.

“The Commission is concerned, but remains confident that an
agreement will be reached between the parties and that both
Russia and Ukraine will honor their commitments to supply
European gas markets as they have at all times in the past,”
the EU executive said in a statement.

Some member states are more dependant on Russian gas than
others. In 2003, Germany bought 39 percent of its gas from
Russia, Austria 65 percent, Hungary 68 percent, Poland 65
percent and the Czech Republic 79 percent.

The Commission said there was no risk of a gas shortage in
the short term, however.

“In the very short term there is no risk because countries
have reserves and there are other suppliers,” said Tardio.