The European Commission will convene this Wednesday in Brussels representatives from the main refineries on the continent, from the energy sector, and from NATO with the aim of analyzing how to increase the production of diesel and aviation fuel, considered "essential" for military operations, in light of the risk that the crisis arising from the conflict in the Middle East could cause supply disruptions.
This will be the first meeting of this kind organized by the community executive and will be led by the Commissioners for Energy, Dan Jorgensen, and for Defense, Andrius Kubilius. According to a note detailed by the Commission itself on Tuesday, fuel manufacturers, engineering companies, and sector organizations will also attend the meeting.
With this initiative, Brussels wants to respond to concerns about supply in a "volatile" geopolitical scenario, in which it sees it essential to protect the capacity of European plants, maintain adequate levels of reserves, and diversify the sources of imports to anticipate potential supply tensions.
The Commission has emphasized the "strategic" nature of this industry, whose refineries provide around 70% of the kerosene for airplanes and 85% of the diesel consumed in the European Union. Therefore, it insists on the need to guarantee access to these fuels and to have storage and distribution infrastructures ready to react to possible interruptions.
"Ensuring reliable access to fuels of military interest, as well as a resilient storage and distribution infrastructure, and integrating defense needs into future EU energy security legislation and sustainable fuel strategies, are crucial elements of the EU's efforts to strengthen defense preparedness," emphasizes the community executive.