Continental importers went "yeah, yeah" and struck deals to make sure they had uninterrupted security of supply and as much diversification as possible. The Netherlands wisely put a cap on gas production to keep domestic reserves available for the future, and these countries made sure thay had big enough companies to dela with the monopoly sellers in Russia, Algeria or even Norway.
And now that North Sea gas is running out, who panicks at the first sign of a gas spat between Russia and Ukraine, vetoes the purchase of its gas distributor by Gazprom, yells that the evil continentals won't share their gas, and starts talking about network interconnection, single buyer policies in Europe and sharing of resources on a continent-wide basis? The importer newby, Tony B., that's who... and in his trail the clueless competition directorate at the European Commission.
(btw, it's a fact that the EU is by no means monolithic on that subject. The competition and energy directorate have basically been in open warfare in the past few years, with the industry directorate moving one way or another depending on how relative prices in open or not-so-open markets were mowing...) In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
The competition directorate should indeed be left alone, it's one of the pan-EU things that work the best, all things considered. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Makes sense.
Internal market: "liberalize all".
Energy: "energy is strategic".
Industry: "whatever gives me the lowest price".
Competition: "monopoly is bad". guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
Give us a Pascal Lamy anytime... but Chirac vetoed him for stupid reasons. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
If you want individual confirmation hearings, well, that would be interesting. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
lol
every Russian who's ever lurked there does know who. Jerry from Paris, that's who Tony B just seconded
But let me ask you something: I can more or less understand why you think I am anti-Russian, but why on earth are you saying that I "panicked" on the Russian-Ukrainian spat when I explicitly wrote that there was nothing to worry about? In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
