EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will tell the European Parliament on Wednesday that the Union will wean itself off Russian oil and gas.
The President of the EU Commission slams the Russian aggression against Ukraine in her annual State of the Union address today.
The speech is an annual event where the Commission ‘s President sets out her priorities for the year.
And a strong focus of this year’s speech will be on energy and the cost of living crisis being made worse by Vladimir Putin’s cutting gas supplies - leading to sky high prices.
Barbara Nolan, Head of the European Commission representation in Dublin spoke to the Irish Mirror ahead of President von der Leyen’s special address Wednesday morning.
She said: “The European Union has shown unwavering support for Ukraine and introduced unprecedented sanctions against Russia, to reduce its capacity to wage war against Ukraine.
“To ensure Europe’s security of supply, the European Commission has presented the REPowerEU plan to phase out dependency on Russian fossil fuels.
“This helps to accelerate the green transition, through massive investments in renewable energy.
“The Commission has tabled ambitious plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions, invest in green technologies and protect the natural environment.”
Ms Nolan added that the EU’s success in battling Covid would help in tackling the latest crisis.
She said: “President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech as the EU emerges from the coronavirus pandemic crisis but is now facing a new crisis: Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine and its fallout, including pressing challenges in relation to energy supply.
“The European Commission has successfully coordinated the EU’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and procured safe and effective vaccines.
“It also managed to preserve the right to free movement of people by developing the EU Covid Vaccination Certificate.
“This is proof that when countries work together – the outcome can be much better.
"As we seek to modernise our economies after the pandemic, NextGenerationEU - Europe’s recovery plan - has facilitated significant investment, giving new confidence to families, businesses and investors.”
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