EU needs to maintain refining capacity to supply military during crises, European Commissioner says

The European Union needs to maintain oil refining capacity at a level sufficient to supply the military with fuel in the event of a crisis or war, European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said at a press conference following the European Commission's first dialogue with representatives of European oil refineries in Brussels, Report informs.

Defense without fuel is impossible, he said.

According to Kubilius, under the NATO force model, during the first 10 days of a potential military crisis, the alliance would need to deploy and fully supply 100,000 troops, which implies a significant demand for fuel.

He highlighted four EU priorities: maintaining sufficient fuel production capacity, preserving a competitive oil refining industry, ensuring fuel transportation under crisis conditions, and enhancing the resilience of critical fuel infrastructure.

Kubilius also pointed out the need to expand the capabilities of the Central Europe Pipeline System, created during the Cold War, to improve supply to Europe's eastern flank.

According to him, the European Commission will continue to coordinate this work with NATO, EU member states, and the industry, taking into account current supply and pricing challenges as well as long-term European defense needs.