EU on Gas Crisis : Ship Transports to bypass Pipeline Blockades ?!

    The importance of Ship transports in order to guarantee EU's Energy independence, against the risk of more ..."Pipeline Blockades" by 3rd, Non-EU Countries of transit, simply by closing a tap, started to be felt by Top EU actors.

- "That's right : No blackmails or threat to block pipelines should be made for Political aims", replied to "EuroFora" France's New Minister for EU affairs, Bruno Le Maire, shortly after Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan's astonishing threat in Brussels to block the non-existent yet "Nabucco" gazoduc project if the EU insisted to ask Turkey to fullfil its commitments.

    - "Even if Nabuco is an important project, there are also others, (as "Sourth Stream", etc), or even Ships' transport, with new Technologies of liquified gas, etc. Thus, it's preferable to diversify Enerhy Transports, as much as possible, in order to achieve greatest Security and Independence in Europe's Energy supplies", Le Maire added.     

Meanwhile, the secrets of sudden phone calls by Romanian President BASESCU to Russian Prime Minister PUTIN during the Ukranian pipeline crisis, were not openly revealed by Romanian MEP Jean MARINESCU, EPP Group's vice-Chairman, while discusssing, in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, with German MEP Elmar BROK a Moscow Summit due to try to solve the pipeline problems.  

 But Basescu is well known as a strong supporter of Ship Energy Transports through Seas and Rivers, mainly via the Black Sea - Danube and Rhine Rivers' route, that he was 1st to cross with a big boat, since 2001, as former Minister of merchand fleet, as he replied to an "EuroFora" question, at an earlier CoE Press Conference in Strasbourg.  

 Thus, now, a series of EU politicians started to question a lobby's attempts to exploit the current Gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine in order to impose to the EU an old plan for a too long, expensive and vulnerable "Nabucco" controversial pipeline zig-zaging through troublesome Turkey, notoriously exposed to earthquakes and conflicts.  

 The move went beyond the competition by a new project for a "SouthStream" pipeline from Russia via the Black Sea to Bulgaria, and then Greece and Italy, or Serbia, Hungary and Austria : 90% EU Members".

    Various Top EU Politicians, questioned by "EuroFora", agreed that Gas SHIP TRANSPORTS should be urgently developed as a way to face the current Gas Pipeline crisis, and avoid to fall to the trap of any lobby which might exploit it in order to impose another Pipeline, through other troublesome 3rd countries, even longer, more expensive and vulnerable.

     The move started recently, after a Franco-German Summit  between German chancelor Merkel and French President Sarkozy, who stressed that the current Gas Pipeline  incites Europe to "diversify Energy Transports".
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     - "There is a series of issues to ensure EU's Energy Independency, and this would very probably include also the development of SHIP Transports", added, agreeing witth a "EuroFora"'s question, Sarkozy's Spokesman on European issues, Pierre Jerome HENIN

     - "The necessary Diversification of EU's Energy imports concerns not only the Sources, but also the Routes and Means of Transport. One of them certainly are Ship transports of oil and mainly gas, and EU has prepared programs (fex. TENS) to fund both Ships and Terminals for Gas Liquification", replied also to "EuroFora" the President of EU Parliament's Political affairs Committee, Polish ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP, Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI.

    - "Pipelines are OLD-fashioned. The Future belongs to Gas, and in particular to the LNG technology. The biggest Gas deposits in the World exist not only in Russia or Iran, but mainly around Quatar. So that Ship transports of LNG are certainly to be developed", replied also to "EuroFora" the experienced Finnish MEP Esko SEPANEN, member of EuroLEFT Group's Bureau.

    - "You are right : We (EU) must consider both the Costs and the VULNERABILITY of each kind of Energy Transports" :

     - "PIPELINES CAN BE totally BLOCKED by simply CLOSING A TAP, in case of any "Crisis", as we see now in the Russia-Ukraine row", replied EPP Group's Foreign Affairs Spokesman, Spanish MEP Jose SALAFRANCA to "EuroFora" Question, if he found that EU must avoid to be anew dependent to a Pipeline crossing any 3rd Country, which can be easily closed, under any pretext, (while Ship links cannot be easily sabotaged or blocked 100%)...  

   - "In consequence, Ship Energy transports should be also developed" by the EU in order to guarantee Europe's Energy Safety through Diversification, concluded Salafranca    

- "It's certainly an IMPORTANT issue the Diversification of Routes and Transports : In Future, our (EU) Priority must be to diversify our energy supplies by all means, including SHIP Transports, in order to ensure Europe's Security and Independence", replied also to a similar "EuroFora's" question the President of Latvia, Valdis ZATLERS.

    Last, but not least : Compared COSTS :

According to American Experts' sources, the cost of a Gas Pipeline becomes more and more expensive compared to that of Ship transports of LNG, particularly for long Distancies, starting from some 2.000 kms

This obviously proves that the controversial old "Nabucco" plan is too costly, since it should extend for more than ..3.300 kms (!), making Ship LNG transports cheaper..

In parallel and concording moves, EU Council and Commission presented recently a series of measures to ameliorate the working conditions of Seafarers.

EU Parliament already endorsed a Directive on an Agreement brokered by Shipowners and Transport Workers, hailed by Greek EuroMP Mrs Maria PANAYOTOPOYLOS-CASSIOTOU : 

- "The Seas around Europe are becoming more and more important for International Trade, and many Young People should see their Future in good jobs at the Shipping industry", she said.

Such moves could also contribute to a social Civilisation at the Seaside (and Riverside), able to revitalize Europe's Historic Cultural links to the Sea (and Rivers)", she added.

Typical of EU's Sea - River links, MEP Maria Cassiotou was born at Greek Island, but now lives with her Family close to Rhine River..