Energy Union will strengthen Lithuania’s energy security, President Grybauskaitė says

According to Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, the energy union is beneficial for Lithuania as it will boost energy security of the entire European Union, ensure transparent relations between EU member-states and external suppliers, and strengthen mutual solidarity within the EU, the presidential press service said.

The president noted that Lithuania’s aim was to have the synchronization of the Baltic power networks with the continental European grid anchored in all EU energy union and other strategic documents. The Baltic power transmission systems currently still operate synchronically with Russian and Belarusian electricity networks and are controlled from Moscow.

“To ensure full energy security for ourselves and resistance to external blackmail we must not only build power interconnections with Sweden and Poland. We also need to instil new power system control principles and ensure its synchronous operation with continental Europe. This will contribute to achieving the European energy union,” she said.

The energy union will also enable collective gas supplies to EU members in case of supply crises. According to the president, this will boost the strategic importance of the Klaipėda LNG terminal in the region – in the event of pipeline supply disruption the terminal can supply gas to all three Baltic States.

EU member-states will have to inform the European Commission in advance about planned intergovernmental and commercial agreements with external suppliers, in particular for natural gas. The Commission will assess whether such contracts fully comply with EU legislation and do not discriminate other member states. These measures aim to bolster solidarity among EU countries, transparency of contracts and secure supplies.