Two socialist rulers from southern Europe – the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, and the Portuguese prime minister, António Costa – and a social-democratic host from the north, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, highlighted this Friday in Berlin “the great importance of accelerating the construction of energy interconnectors within the EU, including gas corridors suitable for transporting renewable hydrogen”, according to the joint statement released tonight after their meeting. The three agreed to “jointly follow up on this issue.”
These are the characteristics of the Midcat trans-Pyrenean gas pipeline connecting the Iberian network with France, whose construction was interrupted in 2019 and which, according to Spain and Portugal, should be resumed to bring gas to Europe and because it would also be technically possible to transport green hydrogen. France has no interest in reactivating it.
The joint statement does not mention Midcat by name, as the German Chancellery is becoming increasingly reluctant to make it explicit. For Germany, this infrastructure represents just one more element of its global objective of promoting all European energy interconnections, in the midst of an emergency in the sector due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sánchez and Costa met with Scholz at the Foreign Ministry, taking advantage of his presence in Berlin for the congress of the European Socialist Party (PSE), in which Sánchez will speak this Saturday.
The three heads of government addressed “the importance of diversifying energy sources to guarantee the security of Europe’s supply” in the current context of high energy prices. And they agreed, according to the note , that “the EU Green Deal is essential to combat climate change and accelerate the transition to a CO2-free economy before 2050” and that “the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels through the The expansion of renewable energies also contributes decisively to our security”. Costa, Sánchez and Scholz reaffirmed “their unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as necessary.”
The three will insist on the energy emergency at the summit of EU Heads of State and Government to be held in Brussels next week (20 and 21).
