Brussels, Belgium. Cyprus Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said there is a possibility of transport fuel shortages as maritime traffic at the Strait of Hormuz again came to a standstill. He spoke on arrival at an informal conference of European Union transport ministers in Brussels.
Vafeades warns of possible transport fuel shortage
Vafeades said Europe may face a short-term supply issue due to an evolving geopolitical crisis in the Middle East, stressing that a shortage remains a possibility. He also called for awareness of demand issues in fuel consumption that need to be neutralised in the medium and longer term, indicating that fuel consumption rates across Europe should be better managed.
Call for readiness to avoid queues
Vafeades said the EU should be prepared to avoid queues at gas stations if shortages occur and to remove the possibility of such queues as part of longer-term planning. He described Tuesday’s meeting as timely, coming two days before the leaders of the EU’s 27 member states are set to convene in Cyprus, and said the meeting would feed into that discussion.
Jet fuel concerns and EU energy plan
Asked about reports of potential jet fuel shortages, Vafeades said the EU is not in any dangerous situation, while noting that any shortage would affect connectivity and every citizen in the union. European Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the Middle East crisis is affecting all transport modes and all EU member states, adding that the European Commission will present an energy plan on Wednesday named “AccelerateEU” with a major focus on transport fuels and an emphasis on jet fuel.
What steps do you think the EU should take to manage fuel supply risks and demand?
