A debate on accelerating the EU’s transition away from Russian gas and other Russian energy resources took place in Strasbourg during the European Parliament’s plenary session. PiS MEPs Adam Bielan and Piotr Müller spoke during the discussion.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine has exposed a fundamental weakness in our European energy security,” — noted Adam Bielan, pointing out that “for too long, the EU’s dependence on Russian gas and other fossil fuels has been a tool of political blackmail, financing a regime that wages war against its neighbors and destabilizes our continent.”
The MEP said that the European Parliament has repeatedly called for stronger measures—full sanctions on Russian LNG, a ban on transshipments through EU ports, and a legal framework preventing companies from circumventing restrictions through intermediaries. However, he noted, these recommendations have been circumvented, and “the loopholes allowing this must be closed.” “In this regard, I deeply regret the European Commission’s two-time postponement of its plan to completely phase out imports of Russian natural gas by 2027,” added the PiS MEP.
The Polish politician cautioned, however, that new investments should not simply replace one dependency with another. “Diversification means securing reliable partners, such as Norway or the U.S., while accelerating the development of nuclear and hydrogen energy,” the MEP noted.
At the same time, he said, we must support the member states most affected by this transition. “Energy security cannot be achieved at the expense of economic hardship for our citizens,” said Bielan, calling for the creation of targeted financial mechanisms to help industries and households adapt.
"Finally, let’s not sacrifice our industries on the altar of green ideology," he urged.
Piotr Müller emphasized that a key mistake made regarding Russia was the development of infrastructure that allows for the transmission of gas. “This infrastructure has a name—it’s called Nord Stream,” the politician explained, recalling that in 2014, when Russia first attacked Ukraine, Germany decided to continue construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
“In that case, if you truly want independence from Russia, I have one simple proposal: let Germany prove that it wants this independence. Let it effectively dismantle the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. Let them withdraw from its future operation,” proposed the PiS politician, urging Germany to show that it truly does not want to pay Russia euros for gas. “Prove your true intentions and say ‘stop’ to Russian gas once and for all,” Müller urged.
