‘Every man for himself’: Europe warned of rising competition for energy from Asia

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Europe faces rising competition from Asia for scarce natural gas supplies as summer demand surges
• EU member states may struggle to secure storage targets on the spot market due to higher Asian demand and the fragmented, free-market nature of European energy procurement
• Analysts warn this could push prices higher and exacerbate structural energy vulnerabilities

🔭 The context: Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU attempted centralized gas procurement via AggregateEU, but coordination has been limited and largely ineffective
• Asian countries like China, South Korea, and Vietnam are better positioned to act decisively in the spot market, leveraging centralized systems to secure LNG, whereas Europe’s fragmented approach leaves it exposed

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Competition for LNG threatens to lock Europe into fossil fuel dependence, slowing the transition to renewables
• Higher fossil fuel imports increase carbon emissions, risk energy market volatility, and undermine climate and energy security goals
• Dependence on gas also amplifies geopolitical exposure to conflicts and price shocks, creating long-term systemic risks

⏭️ What’s next: The EU may need to rethink strategies for energy resilience, potentially reviving coordinated purchasing or accelerating renewable deployment, storage, and demand-side flexibility
• Monitoring will continue as Asian spot market purchases rise and global LNG availability fluctuates through the summer 

💬 One quote: “It’s every man for himself… We can coordinate, we can encourage, but we can’t operate the way China does.” – Anonymous EU official

📈 One stat: Europe may require a 13% increase in LNG imports this year compared to 2025 to meet national storage targets amid high summer prices

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