Europe unprepared for Russia gas crisis: EU presidency

(PRAGUE) - The European Union was ill-prepared for the Russia gas crisis and needs better contingency planning and infrastructure, the Czech EU presidency said Thursday.

Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra noted that some EU nations had made "some symbolic gestures" towards those countries worst hit when Russia turned off the gas tap which runs through Ukraine and provides some 40 percent of Europe's imports of natural gas.

Poland for example was sending truck loads of gas to Slovakia, he told reporters after an EU meeting in Prague.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, also attending the talks, cited German help for Hungary, adding that "we are ready to help Slovenia, just in case of emergencies."

Hungary has also agreed to help Serbia.

However, said Vondra, "unfortunately ... we are not very well prepared for that, we need to elaborate a mechanism on how to deal with contingency planning for situations like this," before infrastructure could be put in place to "fix those troubles".

He said two-thirds of the 27 EU member states had been hit by the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine which has left tens of thousands without heating fuel, with those in eastern Europe particularly badly hit.

EU legislation foresees a solidarity mechanism on energy matters in case of crisis in any EU nations. However the gas pipeline system within the bloc does not allow for such solidarity to be effectively applied.

"There is no short-term solution for providing the states which have a gas shortage with existing stocks," a French diplomat bemoaned.

"For that we would have to reinforce the network within the EU," he said, regretting that such an initiative was not taken earlier.

The diplomat also highlighted the most basic obstacle to such a system being introduced.

"We understand that it is not easy for a country to pilfer its own stocks to give to others."

European Union energy ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to study ways to improve the system for helping out fellow member states.

EU experts were also due to meet on Friday to consider what measures could be taken rapidly for the worst-hit countries.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said it was "unacceptable" that the Russia-Ukraine dispute should hit their European customers, while adding "we also want to see more solidarity within our member states.

"There is no common policy yet but I think more and more people understand there has to be a common energy policy," she told AFP as she left the Prague talks.