English: Map to show current affiliations of European Countries with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Several NATO Member areas not included in the map, such as the United States, Canada, Greenland, and French Guiana. Česky: Mapa zobrazující partnerské smlouvy NATO v Evropě a okolí. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a really interesting article from Nick Butler published in the FT. Check it out!

Is energy security a job for Nato? | Nick Butler.

It is good news that Nato recognize energy as a strategic risk for Europe.

Personally, I believe that the European Commission’s paper in May was inadequate. As well as mitigating the risks, there is an urgent need to leverage the opportunities.

For example, what about helping Cyprus to accelerate the development of offshore gas? Of course, the Cyprus LPG fields are adjacent to those of Israel. There is also an opportunity to secure long-term supply of gas from Israel. At the same time, surely the EU can influence Turkey’s foreign policy, warning Turkey that a gas pipeline would be conditional?

Overall, what worries me is the slow state of decision-making in Europe with few leaders prepared to look to effective strategies for the whole of Europe

Thoughts?

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