Geopolitics

Global Europe 29-05-2024

Germany, Czech Republic seek EU talks on fully quitting Russian energy

Est. 3min

Germany and the Czech Republic are pushing the European Union to hold talks on how to eliminate the remaining energy sources Europe imports from Russia, EU diplomats told Reuters on Tuesday (28 May).

Global Europe 16-05-2024

EU backs sanctions on Russian propaganda outlets as part of next sanctions package

Est. 3min

Four Russian state media outlets will be added to the European Union's blacklist, while other measures for the 14th sanctions package against Moscow are still in the early stages of discussion following a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday (15 May).

Electricity 16-05-2024

Baltic states in ‘final phase of work’ to desynchronise electricity grids from Moscow

Est. 4min

In the context of the war in Ukraine, the three Baltic States want to accelerate the desynchronisation of their electricity grids from Russia and Belarus and complete it by February 2025 at the latest.

Europe's East 19-04-2024

Russia aims to destroy Ukraine’s energy generation capacity

Est. 5min

After a first campaign of attacks on transmission infrastructures in 2022-23, Russia has recently started focusing its airstrikes on electricity-generating thermal and hydropower plants, causing an electricity deficit that may take years to make up for.

EU to world: Don’t depend solely on China to hit renewable goals

Est. 3min

The world should ensure diverse supply chains and implement a framework to track the progress made towards tripling global renewable capacity by 2030, the EU's Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (17 April). 

Enrico Letta's pending report is expected to identify the single energy market as "Europe’s best asset to ensure its success in a novel global order” [File photo]
Electricity 18-04-2024

The Letta report: What’s in the box for Europe’s energy sector

Est. 4min

Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is set to present his report on the future of Europe’s single market to EU leaders on Thursday 18 April. A deepening of Europe’s Energy Union is a key priority, along with several targeted recommendations on how to transform Europe’s energy sector.

Politics 03-04-2024

Bulgaria using Turkish Stream pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, reveals Borissov

Est. 4min

Bulgaria has introduced the special gas tax on the transmission of Russian gas through Turkish Stream to punish Austria for its Schengen opposition, the leader of Bulgaria's largest party GERB Boyko Borissov announced on Wednesday (3 April).

Politics 14-03-2024

Leaked documents reveal Kremlin control over Turkish Stream pipeline construction through Bulgaria

Est. 3min

Leaked documents from the emails of Russian politicians show that the Kremlin, through Russian and Belarusian companies, had full control over the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline through Bulgaria from 2019-2021, despite then-Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s claims that the project was under the Bulgarian government’s control, Capital reported.

Politics 05-03-2024

Bulgaria negotiates with Azerbaijan to boost gas supplies to Balkans, Ukraine

Est. 3min

Bulgaria has started negotiations with Azerbaijan to increase gas supplies to Romania, Moldova and Ukraine through the future vertical Balkan gas corridor, the Bulgarian parliament’s press centre announced on Monday.

Germany’s gas tariff puts EU energy solidarity at risk, energy commissioner says

Est. 2min

Germany's levy on cross-border gas trading puts the EU's energy solidarity at risk and hurts efforts to cut the bloc's reliance on Russian gas, the bloc's energy commissioner and deputy Czech PM told reporters on Monday (4 March) following a meeting of EU energy ministers.

Politics 27-02-2024

Danish police close Nord Stream investigation, no reason given

Est. 2min

The Danish investigation into the Nord Stream 1 and 2 explosions has been closed, the Danish authorities announced on Monday, less than a month after Sweden did the same, but gave no details as to why.

Economy 22-02-2024

EU-Russia trade continues to slide as LNG, fertilisers curb Europe’s need for pipeline gas

Est. 4min

Trade between the European Union and Russia kept sliding in the final quarter of 2023, as Brussels continues efforts to decouple itself from Moscow in the lead-up to the second anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

Cyprus could produce first natural gas as soon as 2026, minister says

Est. 3min

Cyprus could start producing its first natural gas as soon as 2026, and plans to participate in a high-powered electricity cable project linking the eastern Mediterranean to continental Europe, its energy minister told Reuters.

Austria’s dependence on Russian gas rises to 98%, two years after Ukraine war

Est. 5min

Austria’s dependence on Russian gas has grown from 80% to 98% in two years, prompting the country’s energy minister to ring the alarm bell ahead of a national election in the Autumn.

Climate-change-driven migration seen as bigger threat than Russia – MSC report

Est. 5min

Respondents fear climate-change-driven migration more than the security threat posed by Russia, according to a fresh survey for the Munich Security Conference (MSC) published on Monday (12 February).

Politics 07-02-2024

Swedish Nord Stream investigation to end soon

Est. 3min

The Swedish criminal investigation into the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipeline sabotage in the autumn of 2022 will likely conclude shortly after the prosecutor in charge, Mats Ljungqvist, announced that a decision would be made on Wednesday.

Circular economy 31-01-2024

EU-backed green certification scheme for raw materials launched, in world first

Est. 6min

Germany’s TÜV Nord Group is launching the world’s "first and only comprehensive certification" scheme for critical raw materials along the entire value chain – from exploration to extraction and processing, up to the final product.

Economy 26-01-2024

Security or prosperity: Must the EU decide?

Est. 7min

As the EU has presented its shiny new economic security package this week, it will now need to square the circle between security and prosperity.

Belgium unsure about using EU option to block Russian gas imports

Est. 2min

It is unclear if Belgium will use the option in an upcoming European Union law to block imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), Belgium's energy minister said on Monday (22 January).

Ukraine, Moldova, Slovakia join ‘Vertical Corridor’ European gas transportation scheme

Est. 2min

Ukraine, Moldova and Slovakia on Friday (19 January) joined an initiative for a planned corridor to carry natural gas between Greece and countries to its north as Europe steps up efforts to diversify supply and boost energy security.

Politics 19-01-2024

US’ Blinken wants Bosnia to end dependence on Russian gas

Est. 4min

In a letter sent to the heads of diplomacy of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Gordan Grlić Radman and Elmedin Konaković, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on them to influence the head of HDZ BiH, Dragan Čović, to urgently adopt the Law on the Southern Gas Interconnection, which would connect Bosnia and Croatia and reduce Bosnia’s dependence on Russian gas.

Energy 16-01-2024

EU economy still grappling with long tail of 2022 energy shock

Est. 5min

Although gas and electricity prices have receded below their 2022 peak, they are not forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels in the foreseeable future, the European Commission said on Monday (15 January), warning of the long-term economic consequences of high energy prices on the EU's competitiveness.

Serbia-Bulgaria interconnector to reduce dependence on Russian gas

Est. 3min

A pipeline connector between Serbia and Bulgaria that will reduce Serbia's dependence on Russian gas by giving it access to Azerbaijan exports was inaugurated Sunday (10 December) in the presence of three Presidents.

Global Europe 24-11-2023

Greek shippers exit Russian oil trade to avoid US sanctions

Est. 4min

Three major Greek shipping firms have stopped transporting Russian oil in recent weeks in order to avoid US sanctions now being imposed on some shipping firms carrying Russian oil, four traders told Reuters and shipping data showed.