BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Russian gas imports to the European Union has dropped sharply in the past three years, while imports from trusted partners like Norway and the U.S. have increased, according to the State of the Energy Union Report 2024, published Wednesday.
The share of Russian gas imports to EU member states dropped from 45 percent in 2021 to 18 percent by June 2024, the report says.
The European Union had sought alternative ways, including major energy deals with its allies, to reduce its reliance on Russian energy and strengthen European energy security in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
The 27-nation European bloc, which heavily depends on Russian gas, had set a target of cutting imports significantly in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The EU has continued to stand by Ukraine in the face of relentless Russian attacks on its energy system. The synchronisation of the Ukrainian and Moldovan grids with the Continental European Network helped stabilise Ukraine's electricity system, and the capacity for electricity exchanges has now reached 1.7 GW for commercial trade. It also enables Ukraine to benefit from emergency imports.
Additionally, over the past years, the EU has managed to withstand critical risks to its security of energy supply, regain control over the energy market and prices, and accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality:
Renewable energy generation is breaking new capacity records. In the first half of 2024, half of the EU's electricity generation came from renewable sources.
EU reduced gas demand between August 2022 and May 2024 by 138 billion cubic meters.
The EU reached its 90 PERCENT winter gas storage target on August 19, well ahead of the November 1 deadline.
Energy prices are more stable and remain significantly below the peak levels of the energy crisis of 2022.
The EU's greenhouse gas emissions fell by 32.5 percent from 1990 to 2022, while the EU economy has grown by around 67 percent in the same period.
At international level, the EU led the global initiative to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvements as part of the transition away from fossil fuels, which was endorsed by all Parties at COP28 in Dubai.
The report recalls that all Member States must submit their final updated National Energy and Climate Plans as soon as possible, to achieve the goal to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030.
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