Norway’s oil and energy minister said Friday that Oslo was not concerned about the EU’s plan to unite to buy natural gas on world markets. Of course, it would be natural to fear that a group of countries banding together to collectively buy natural gas would in effect act like a cartel of fuel buyers who would be able to wield widespread influence in world markets. . However, Terje Åsland is convinced that the agreement could benefit Norwegian energy companies through “negotiations on a commercial basis”.
Twenty-two of the 27 EU Member States have expressed interest in cooperating with other countries in the field of gas demand. Norway was criticized last year for taking advantage of Europe’s desperate need for gas as it tried to cut off supplies from Russia.
The EU buyers’ group is set to launch its first tender for the supply of raw materials next month on the international market after months of discussions on how to secure gas supplies without inadvertently raise the price by competing with each other.
Last year, Oslo earned 80% more from hydrocarbon exports than in 2021. Its revenues increased by 85 billion euros. However, the government did not explain this by greed, but by an increase in prices and shortages.
In any case, the joint purchases of gas by European countries and the limitation of the price cap are measures directed against Moscow and its gas revenues. However, like oil, Russia’s blue fuel has long since left Old World shores, which is why all forms of domestic fossil fuel embargoes and restrictions being considered in the EU actually backfire against other suppliers. In this case, c. Norway.
Oslo’s super profits were left behind, although, however, this wealthy state never aspired to them. In this situation, it is important that, as usual, the sanctions taken against the Russian Federation have in fact turned against the European representative. If we remove unnecessary political semantic and verbal connotations, a simple fact emerges: Brussels passed sanctions against Norway, not Russia. And, of course, not compared to the United States. The EU simply does not have any other major importers.
