"We are not only the frontrunners but also the biggest enthusiasts of the plan (RePowerEU - BNS), and we are, probably, the member state that has already done all the necessary work. Lithuania is definitely the first in class as our dependence on Russian gas and oil is gone. We are the first member state to have done so," Pranckevicius told the Lithuanian public radio LRT.
He made the remarks on Wednesday as the European Commission is set to present RePowerEu, a package of measures valued at 195 billion euros and aimed at eliminating the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027, as well as setting new and more ambitious targets for renewable energy production and energy savings, the Lithuanian ambassador said.
In addition to RePowerEu, the European Commission will also present two other important packages on Wednesday: one on the reconstruction of Ukraine and the second one on defense, Pranckevicius said. These packages will shape the Brussels agenda for the upcoming weeks and will be discussed at the European Council in late May, the ambassador said.
The most important of these is the RePowerEU package as it aims at reducing energy dependence on Russian fossil fuels, and it will be accompanied by the adoption of two legislative proposals on the funding of these measures and on the changes to the Renewable Energy Directive, Pranckevicius said, adding that the RePowerEU plan is directly linked to the ongoing negotiations on the sixth package of sanctions for Russia.