Parliamentarians from the Baltic Sea countries discussed energy security

Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Peeter Tali attended the meeting of the Chairs of the European Union Affairs Committees and the Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments of the Baltic Sea countries in Gdańsk, Poland.

The meeting focused on the energy infrastructure and energy prices in the Baltic Sea region. “The European energy market has changed after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion against Ukraine, and although the European Union is now significantly less dependent on Russia’s gas than before, its price continues to affect our electricity market,” Tali said, adding that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz also had an impact. He underlined that energy interconnections were of critical importance for the countries in the region, and that special attention must be paid to protecting undersea infrastructure.

“To evade sanctions and transport oil, Russia is using a shadow fleet consisting of ships in very poor condition, which poses a threat of an environmental disaster and whose vessels serve as platforms for hybrid warfare. Our aim is to put an end to the operations of this shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea,” Tali said. “We must work closely together to monitor the shadow fleet and intercept dangerous vessels, and ensure that coastal states do not have to bear the responsibility and potential damage alone. Estonia will continue to work on measures against the ghost fleet and will strive to achieve a total ban on maritime services to these dangerous vessels within the European Union.”

In addition to Tali, Chairs of the European Union Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, and Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Iceland and Norway participated in the meeting.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
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