Von der Leyen: Hormuz Closure Has Cost Europe an Extra 127 Billion Euros in Fossil Fuel Imports
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the WinWin Summit in Brussels on November 3 that since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, imported fossil fuels have cost Europe an additional 127 billion euros, "without a single molecule of energy in addition."
"127 billion euros just because of the closure of this strait," she said. "When we import oil and gas, we also risk importing the shocks and the crises that come with them." She used the figure to argue that Europe must cut its dependence on imported fossil fuels, saying the clean transition is not only a climate issue but also one of competitiveness and strategic independence. The European Union has committed to climate neutrality by 2050 and has agreed to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2040.
Before its closure, the Strait of Hormuz carried roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas. After the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, Tehran effectively closed the waterway and launched attacks on neighbouring countries' energy infrastructure. Von der Leyen's remarks came a day after U.S. forces struck Iran's Qeshm Island, inside the strait, on the night of November 2, in what Washington described as a defensive measure to protect American military assets. Brent crude was trading at around 106 dollars a barrel around noon in Europe on November 3, up about 1 percent on the day.
The figure has climbed steadily over the past two months: von der Leyen put it at 90 billion euros in her State of the Union address on September 16, at 100 billion euros in a European Parliament debate on October 6, and updated it to 127 billion euros on Tuesday.
Source: European Commission
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：欧盟委员会主席 Ursula von der Leyen（资料图）。照片 CC BY-SA 4.0，作者 Grunpfnul，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (file photo). CC BY-SA 4.0, by Grunpfnul, via Wikimedia Commons.
