According to a statement, Mr. Mavridis in his intervention stressed that "strategic autonomy of the EU in energy, by increasing energy imports, is not strategic autonomy" and addressed the Commission, calling on it to answer the specific question of many European citizens, why, since we as the EU have our own energy reserves, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, do we not proceed with them as a priority?
Continuing, the Cypriot MEP pointed out that "the suspicion of all of us is that the EU, through some of its officials, does not dare to confront the Erdogan regime. In other words, these officials are undermining Europe's strategic autonomy in order to avoid confronting Erdogan."
Mavridis then asked the Commission to include the Russian state-owned company Rosatom, which is controlled by the Kremlin, in the sanctions. The company, the statement added, is implementing its nuclear energy project in Turkey by constructing the first nuclear power plant at Akkyuyu, in an earthquake-prone area off the coast of the occupied Kyrenia Province.
Commissioner Countrywoman Simpson, in relation to the Eastern Mediterranean, pointed out that the European Commission participates as an observer in the "East Med Gas Forum" and that the 6th package of sanctions will also target Russia's energy sector. On the "Rosatom" company, he noted that there are some member states that are in cooperation with it and "we are looking for ways to relieve them by diversifying their use of nuclear fuel."
Commenting on the issue of the EU's domestic sources, such as the Eastern Mediterranean, as an energy supplier, Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni explained that this will be included in the Commission's next energy communication expected in May.
Source: CNA
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