If recent weeks kept our minds far from thoughts of wrapping up for winter and firing up the heating, the end of the month and change of clocks will inevitably have us reaching for the thermostat, and probably wincing as we recall last winter. Will this year be the same? Can we stand a cold spell?
Though bills have subsided substantially since the frightful peaks seen at the start of the year, Europeans might well be concerned about the cost of heating. After discovering how vulnerable our energy markets are to external shocks, the geopolitical situation on the fringes of Europe now looks even less stable.
The burning question is how we have adapted in light of external threats to cushion our supply of key resources. Here there has thankfully been some progress; for starters, households in Belgium are using far less energy than ever – both through prudence and efforts to insulate buildings. At the same time, LNG capacity in the EU has risen by 20% just in the first half of 2023 and the Member States are currently two months ahead of schedule to fill stocks.
Perhaps most pertinently, Europe – both leaders and citizens – is far more sensitive to questions of energy provision than previously. Not only for the sake of the environment, we are realising the importance of having control of energy sources in order to withstand international volatility.
Whilst we now understand the merits of energy sobriety – the elective reduction in energy consumption – it is far easier to be cautious in personal habits. The same demands cannot be applied to the economy large-scale, with industries pointing out how fluctuations in energy costs undermine competitiveness and could see operations displaced: a major blow to GDP and jobs.
Already Belgium is extending the lifespan of its two youngest reactors. What if it reopened two more (only closed in September 2022 and January 2023)? Analysts have assessed this exact scenario, though it has yet to rise to the political agenda. But with public opinion on nuclear turning favourable, would this be a shrewd investment?
Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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1. Europe will not face energy crisis this winter, study finds
A leading Brussels-based think tank has forecast that Europe will not experience an energy crisis this winter, arguing that the continent's successful diversification of gas imports has significantly reduced the likelihood of power outages as temperatures fall across the continent. Read more.
2. Budget-friendly Brussels: Top 10 free activities to do in the capital
Brussels may not be famed as a cheap European city, but there are still plenty of low-cost and free activities on offer year-round for those wanting to explore Belgium's capital on a budget. Read more.
3. New Paris-London line in competition with Eurostar to be launched by Evolyn
Train company Evolyn announced on Wednesday the purchase of 12 trains from French manufacturer Alstom for a new high-speed line from Paris to London in competition with Eurostar. Read more.
4. A mysterious discovery: First World War hero Edith Cavell's plaque found in British garage
An ancestor of the First World War nurse Edith Cavell executed in Brussels in 1915, recently discovered a mysterious plaque, broken and aged, hiding away in an old red family trunk in England. Read more.
5. The great debate about what made Flanders
The Flemish government has come up with a list of 60 cultural and historical topics that have shaped Belgium’s Dutch-speaking region. Read more.
6. The old continent: More over-65s than under-15s in Europe from 2024
By 2024, there will be more people aged 65 and over than under-15s in Europe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Wednesday, calling for better measures to ensure healthy old age. Read more.
7. Cigarette prices to increase by up to €1 in Belgium
Prices for cigarette packets in Belgium could rise by up to €1 as a result of the Federal Government's decision to increase excise taxes on tobacco in its newly announced budget. Read more.
