The EU can help NATO boost global energy security and the ongoing energy transition, representatives from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union told New Europe.
“We continue to consult on how NATO can contribute to energy security and welcome the work of Allies and the European Union in this regard,” a NATO official said on March 20. “In particular, we are supporting the protection of critical energy infrastructure. And we continue to work to improve energy efficiency in the military,” he added, commenting on a meeting with external experts and the North Atlantic Council to discuss global energy developments and their security implications on March 20.
EU Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič spoke to NATO Ambassadors on energy trends and developments, including the ongoing energy transition.
The topics discussed on March 20 were a strategic view of global energy trends, what the EU has done to strengthen its energy security since the 2015 Energy Union strategy and strong focus on the ongoing energy transition, including Renewable Energy Sources (RES), electrification – also in a global context (shifts in China, India etc.) and technological implications for raw materials, EU energy spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told New Europe.
As part of conclusions, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Šefčovič expressed interest in cooperating on the upcoming report that the NATO will be preparing in the context of its July summit – the reports will also focus on energy, Itkonen said, adding that, in general terms, a “willingness for us to help”.
Overall, Stoltenberg, Šefčovič, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol, US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy Sandra Oudkirk discussed major upheavals in the global energy landscape, examined the security implications of the energy transition away from oil, and reviewed the current challenges to energy security in Europe, NATO said in a statement.
