The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament and the Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine issued a joint statement on recent developments in the energy sector related to and caused by the Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified war Russia against Ukraine. This document was drawn up following the joint session of the two Commissions.
Remaining firmly dedicated to upholding Ukraine’s independence and territorial unity, non-recognizing the occupation of Ukrainian territories, beginning in 2014, including Crimea, we share common understanding that Ukraine has an inherent right to safeguard, reclaim, and protect its territorial integrity, and affirm its right to respond effectively to any acts of terrorism that are being committed by the aggressor.
We, the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, issued the following joint statement with regard to recent developments in the energy sector related to and caused by the unprovoked and unjustified war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine:
Ukraine’s energy sector resilience amidst potential Russian attacks and ongoing aggression
We strongly condemn the deliberate attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, which have already led to deaths of hundreds and miseries of millions.
Therefore, we support the provision of military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including the energy equipment (power transformers, substations, cables, circuit breakers, switchgears, power generators, energy storages, etc.) that would help to resist and stop the ongoing attacks and aggression.
We call all the respective authorities and institutions to facilitate and accelerate an increase of the interconnection and trade capacity for electricity imports from the EU to Ukraine to the level of at least 2 gigawatts in order to enhance the resilience of Ukraine’s power system during possible missile and drone attacks, as well as to ensure the continued power supply to consumers in case of possible power shortages.
We emphasize the crucial role of Ukraine’s green transition and decentralization of power grid to enhance its resilience and sustainability. We endorse the advancement of renewable energy in Ukraine, aiming to bring producers and consumers closer to each other, ensuring reliable supply during the war-time, and contributing to achieving climate neutrality in the long-term.
European integration of Ukraine’s the energy sector
We call to facilitate the obtaining by Ukraine’s Transmission system operator Ukrenergo a full membership at ENTSO-E, which will allow Ukraine to utilise the full potential of in-depth cooperation between European and Ukrainian TSOs.
We support the European integration of Ukrainian electricity market that will lead to notable economic benefits for national economies, expand interconnections capacities within the European grid, enhance energy security and accelerate the green transition in Europe, promote the development of transparent rules and principles of electricity market operation in Ukraine.
We call for support of all relevant authorities and institutions to actively promote the growth of biogas, biomethane, and green hydrogen production capabilities in Ukraine, particularly facilitating the possibility of import of Ukrainian biomethane to EU markets by utilizing the current gas pipeline infrastructure.
Energy sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
We reaffirm the significance of energy sanctions as a crucial tool to curb Russia’s financial endeavors in continuing the war against Ukraine.
Considering the recent advancements in Russia’s evasion strategies against sanctions, as well as the presence of loopholes and a general decrease in the effectiveness of implemented sanctions mechanisms, we call for action which should address compliance with energy sanctions, involving steps to strengthen the enforcement stance and alignment of efforts across coalition countries as well as measures to enhance the transparency of transactions not involving EU shipping service providers, develop additional administrative capacities for sanctions enforcement.
Following the ongoing occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP in the city of Energodar that poses a significant threat to nuclear safety across the European continent and beyond, we call to consider the imposition of sanctions against Russia’s nuclear sector and Russian SOE Rosatom, implementation of measures aimed to reduce the influence of Russian Federation on the development of nuclear energy in Europe, establishment of working groups to develop specific goals for the coming years aimed at reducing cooperation with Russian Federation and Rosatom.
We underline our support to addressing a concerning issue of the increased Russian LNG and LPG imports by the members of the EU and stress the importance of making proactive decisions, including limitations and restrictions on Russian LNG and LPG imports, in order to shift from importing Russian fossil fuels and ensure European energy security.