EU-Länder wollen erst nach Prüfung durch die IEA neue Ölvorräte freigeben
Das bedeutet, dass die EU-Staaten zunächst nur bereits im März zugesagte Mengen freigeben werden.
Three diplomatic sources have revealed that the EU will only release additional oil and diesel reserves once the International Energy Agency (IEA) confirms the step would not jeopardize the Union's energy security. The Group of Seven, comprising Italy, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Canada, and the United States, agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of oil and diesel.
Earlier, the US government had threatened to ban exports if Europe did not tap into its oil reserves. However, the IEA later confirmed that the planned release would utilize existing reserves pledged in March, rather than bringing in new supplies. EU representatives at a Wednesday meeting also adhered to this stance and announced that future withdrawals would be suspended "until a clearer assessment of market conditions and supply security risks from the IEA" is made.
Some EU countries warned that releasing the reserves at the current time could make them vulnerable in the event of a supply crisis, given the high diesel prices. The IEA still has sufficient unused reserves to fulfill the commitment to release 100 million barrels. Of the 400 million barrels pledged in March, 325 million have already been released, with some countries having agreed to release larger amounts than initially promised.
The IEA stated in a statement following an extraordinary ministerial conference that the new commitment represents the "completion" of the March agreement. The IEA, which includes 32 member countries from Europe, North America, and East Asia, had reported that France and Germany, which possess some of the largest European reserves, had signaled that they would not release more or only minimal amounts beyond the already pledged quantities.
It remains unclear what share the non-EU members of the IEA will shoulder in this latest release, as Japan has excluded any further releases. Further details on the oil release by the G7 are expected to be discussed at an IEA governance council meeting next week.
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