Roberts Zile

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Could an EU Energy Union help Europe break its dependency on fossil fuels?

2 weeks ago | theparliamentmagazine.eu | Matt Lynes |Roberts Zile

As the bloc pushes to cut its reliance on fossil fuels and eventually bolster its clean energy networks, a decade-old idea is coming back to the fore. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the subsequent EU sanctions against the country, shed a merciless light on Europe’s reliance on foreign powers for energy. Three years later, as policymakers still grapple with how to cut the cord, the idea of an energy union is having a moment in the sun.
Op-ed: The path to energy security runs through Washington, not Moscow

1 month ago | theparliamentmagazine.eu | Roberts Zile |Eloise Hardy

The EU must decisively end its dependence on Russian natural gas — not return to it. Roberts Zile MEP (ECR, LV), Vice President of the European Parliament. He previously served as Latvia’s finance minister from 1997 to 1998. The European Union's energy dependence on Russia should have ended the moment the first tank rolled into Ukraine. Instead, we keep buying billions of euros’ worth of Russian natural gas, which helps pay for Vladimir Putin’s war.
National interests derail EU train travel's full potential

Oct 31, 2024 | theparliamentmagazine.eu | Eloise Hardy |Roberts Zile

The German town of Görlitz and the Polish town of Zgorzelec share more than just a border. A close friendship, which stretches back decades, is evident today in how easily pedestrians can walk from one to the other. It’s a quick hop over the narrow Neisse River that divides the two sides. Going by train, however, gets more complicated. Poland completed electrifying its track in 2019, fulfilling its end of an agreement. Germany did not.
U-turn required: Why the entire Green Deal needs revising

Apr 4, 2024 | theparliamentmagazine.eu | Roberts Zile |Tilly METZ

Implementation of the Green Deal is, to a great extent, based on the ‘carrot and stick’ principle. The ‘stick’ part – climate commitments, regulations, and deadlines – is dominant, while the ‘carrot’ part – incentives and European Union funding – is, unfortunately, minimal. This dynamic will cause economic and social damage in many countries because the required investments in greening their transport sector will be disproportionately large.