The European Union and Russia today agreed to an "early warning" mechanism to shield Europe from potential energy supply cuts and protect consumers in the event of a repeat of last year's Russia-Ukraine gas dispute.
The agreement requires both sides to notify the other of any likely disruption to supplies of oil, natural gas or electricity and to work together to resolve the problem. Third parties would also be allowed to participate, the European Commission said.
"An energy crisis like the one the EU suffered in January is harmful for supply, transit and consuming countries alike," EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs said after signing the agreement with Russian energy minister Sergei Shmatko.
"We need to do everything necessary to make sure that such a situation never happens again," he said in a statement.
Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine - a route that supplies a fifth of Europe's gas - were halted for more than two weeks in January due to a quarrel between Moscow and Kiev.
Concerns are growing that the dispute could be repeated this January, when Ukraine holds presidential elections. Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the country had struggled to pay its latest monthly gas bill to Russia.
Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin also warned last week that Moscow would cut off deliveries should Ukraine siphon off, for its own use, gas crossing its territory en route to Europe.
Russia's Energy Ministry said in a separate statement that the "early warning" mechanism would maintain a clear line of communication between Moscow and Brussels, as well as the means by which to react to unexpected supply disruptions.
Reuters