Europe must reduce its dependence on gas

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev himself has planned to attend the ceremony. On Friday, the Baltic pipeline, Nord Stream, carried by the Russian company Gazprom, will finally stage of project to construction. The first stone of the future submarine pipe along 1200 km will be laid in Vyborg, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, a hundred miles from St. Petersburg. Nord Stream is expected to provide, by 2013, 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, delivered directly to Germany. Gerard Mestrallet, Chairman of GDF Suez, attend the ceremony. The French group is involved in the project which is expected shortly to become a shareholder in the consortium with 9% of the capital.

"Nord Stream is a key element of security of supply, without any transit countries, welcomed Mestrallet early March on the occasion of the Paris visit of Dmitri Medvedev.The Baltic pipeline will in fact Russia to deliver Europe (which represents 80% of its gas exports), bypassing Ukraine, a transit country whose relationship has been adversarial with Moscow until the election February's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Nord Stream also avoids another export route, via Bi?olorussie-ally-capricious and Poland.

During the visit of Russian President in France, Gerard Mestrallet had welcomed the historic relationship of GDF established with Gazprom for thirty-five and secure supply contracts until 2030. But everyone in Paris does not share this idyllic vision of the relationship with Russia, the leading exporter of natural gas."Europe is dramatically dependent" for its gas, alarmed Stoffa?s Christian, chairman of the Center for Future Studies and International Information (CEPII), who has written a report on the subject on behalf of the Council Strategic Analysis, a body attached to Matignon. If the 145-page document provides a finding widespread evidence of the vulnerability on its European gas supply, Christian Stoffa?s was accompanied by comments not always diplomatic in presenting Friday empire payday loans. The risk of dependence is not one of supply disruption, Stoffa?s analysis, but it "weighs on the minds of Europeans and creates tensions." Europe currently imports 60% of its gas needs, 25% in Russia.The depletion of fields in the North Sea and the growth of demand should increase this dependence. Christian Stoffa?s regrets unvarnished recruitment by "providers" of former European leaders, referring to the former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who became chairman of the board of shareholders of Nord Stream. "The importers are under blackmail from Gazprom but do not want bureaucrats in Brussels", Assen yet the author of the report. The former director of Foresight EDF considers that the Ukrainian crisis for most of 2006 and January 2009, when the tap was actually closed, the awareness of the need for joint action gains little from the Old Continent little.

"A real strength of negotiation"

The report recommends Stoffa?s among six recommendations, the creation of a Central European call.It takes up an idea put forward by Nicolas Sarkozy in his speech of May 5, 2009 at Nimes, "I want to bring the idea of a central European purchasing gas for Europe is a real strength in negotiations with its suppliers. "Jacques Delors, former President of the Commission, which is close Stoffa?s Christian, has just called with the same strategic objectives of independence, the creation of a European power, in a preamble report published by the think tank Notre Europe. The fact is that "the sellers are the condition of the sale," admitted recently Jean-Francois Cirelli, vice-chairman of GDF Suez.Stoffa?s Christian is convinced that even if the process takes years, "if there is political will, the companies will be happy to be less dependent on Gazprom.

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