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EU calls emergency talks on Russia-Ukraine gas row

Posted on: Friday, 30 December 2005, 11:17 CST

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.

Source: REUTERS

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