European Union Greenpeace: Securing fossil fuels behind EU military operations

EU Nearly two-thirds of military operations are related to securing the production and transport of fossil fuels, Greenpeace notes in a recent report.

According to the report, the member states of the European Union are extremely dependent on the import of fossil fuels. Almost 90% of the oil needed in the EU and 70% of fossil gas is imported. They are often imported from politically unstable regions. This explains, according to Greenpeace, that access to oil and gas is secured through military operations.

Using the armed forces as security for imported energy adds to the already high costs. Greenpeace estimates that securing oil and gas supplies through military operations will increase the price of imported energy by several billion euros.

Bridge At present, five of the EU’s eight military operations are in some way related to fossil fuels.

In the report, Greenpeace mentions, for example, the UN arms embargo monitor EU operation Irini off the coast of Libya. As stated in an EU press release, the mission’s secondary role is to control and monitor illegal oil exports from Libya and to ensure the security of legal oil shipments.

Greenpeace’s study focuses on Spain, Italy and Germany. According to it, since 2018, countries have invested more than four billion euros in securing oil and gas production and transportation to Europe.

The most the money has been spent by Italy. According to the study, securing fossil fuels alone has cost Italy € 797 million this year. Spain has spent € 274 million and Germany € 161 million.

According to the Environment Organization, all this is at odds with the EU’s climate promises.

“Governments and the EU must put an end to this vicious circle and direct money to expanding the use of renewable energies,” says German Greenpeace disarmament expert Anna von Gall in the bulletin.