New Europe Online/KG
Cañete to visit Tel Aviv on April 3 for EastMed Energy Summit talks with Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Italy
European Union Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete will travel to Tel Aviv on April 3 to discuss the potential of gas from the eastern Mediterranean region for Europe with the Energy Ministers from Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Italy.
At the ministerial EastMed Energy Summit, the Commissioner and Ministers will discuss East Med developments in the energy sector and options for meeting the needs of the Israeli and European gas markets.
“In the next decades gas flows from the eastern Mediterranean region will play a vital role in the energy security of the European Union,” Cañete said. “The Commission strongly supports the construction of the necessary energy infrastructure and developing a competitive and liquid gas market in the region,” he added.
The East Mediterranean gas findings could play an important role in helping both producing and neighbouring countries to address their energy security problems. They could also have a growing role in the EU’s diversification strategy, the Commission said. In this context the EastMed Gas Pipeline is one of the possible future infrastructure options to bring gas reserves of the East Med region to Europe and other international markets.
The ending of energy islands and diversification of EU gas supplies is an important objective of this Juncker Commission as laid down in the Energy Union Strategy. As part of this, the EU is working with countries in north Africa, the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean to open up new routes that can bring gas to Europe.
