EU's Mr. Energy

Russian oil is flowing to Europe unhindered these days, but, as Europe has learned, the oil giant can at times be an unreliable supplier. In January, a squabble between Russia and Belarus temporarily disrupted supplies headed towards Western Europe and past disputes over gas with Ukraine have had similar consequences.

The Belarus disruption convinced European politicians they needed to develop a new and united energy strategy that would help overcome the bloc's members' worries about sovereignty issues. On Wednesday, Sept. 26, the European Parliament passed a resolution approving a special representative who will be tasked with negotiating energy issues with provider countries such as Russia.

Speaking with a united voice

This so-called "Mr. Energy," as EU politicians have referred to the new delegate, will represent the common interests of Europe and give the 27-member bloc a united front in dealing with exporters. Additionally, "Mr. Energy" will work to prevent a future crisis which could be caused, for example, by a long-term disruption in Russian gas or oil. In the case of a supply shortfall, the representative would develop an internal EU solidarity mechanism.

Polish Christian Democrat Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, currently head of the EU Foreign Affairs Committee, authored the resolution. A total of 553 parliamentarians voted for the idea while 103 voted against it and 27 abstained.

"This is a new starting point for a united foreign policy of the union," Saryusz-Wolski said.

No more baby steps

"The European energy policy is no longer in its infancy," said Kristina Notz, an expert in energy policy for the Center for Applied Policy Research (CAP) in Munich. "We've at last arrived at the implementation phase. The basics have been clarified, now the question is the details."

Those details are on the mind of Ferran Tarradellas Espuny, spokesman for Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs about parliamentary resolution. "Mr. Energy" needs his responsibilities to be clearly outlined, which is missing from the current proposal, Tarradellas Espuny said.

Whether the energy representative should focus on gas or oil prices, the role of diversification of energy sources and what to do if a crisis occurs, were among the issues Tarradellas Espuny said still needed to be addressed.

Poland wants energy solidarity

Poland was a vocal proponent of including a solidarity clause in the EU legislation. The country depends on Russian gas and oil for about 90 percent of its energy imports and also serves as transit country for energy headed further west. A solidarity clause would help Poland in case of an interruption in its supply from Russia.

But Poland has been criticized for pushing energy solidarity while remaining opposed to other EU initiatives, such as the current attempt to reform the EU charter and its past opposition to the EU negotiating energy issues with Russia over domestic trade issues.

Diversification remains fundamental

Europe has realized it needs to diversify. Officials have called for both increasing the use of alternative energies, including such as solar and wind energy, as well as finding new sources for oil and gas. Norway and Algeria are among the EU's current favorites. Norway currently provides about 15 percent of the EU's oil requirements. On Thursday, the country announced it would increase its exports from 55 billion to 78 billion cubic meters (72 billion to 102 billion cubic yards) in 2010.

In December, the EU is set to announce a framework directive for renewable energy and a strategic plan for energy technologies. Early next year, the bloc plans to issue a new report outlining its common energy strategy.