Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso says that the EU “remains vulnerable” to gas supply disruptions and warns that Europe must reduce its dependence on energy imports following the Ukraine crisis.

The Commission calls for immediate action to identify alternative sources of gas and firm up contingency plans before next winter.

In the medium term, it urges member states to speed up the delivery of energy efficiency programmes and increase domestic production, whether by exploiting shale gas or developing renewables.

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