European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed that the European Union spent 25 billion euros ($29 billion) more to import oil and gas in the first 54 days of the Iran war, a cost now cited to justify a push for new energy infrastructure that further integrates the bloc with Gulf states and India. This financial burden on European economies is being used to advance a transnational agenda for "strategic autonomy" through projects like the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which seeks to reduce national exposure to conflict-related disruption by shifting dependencies.
The EU is actively exploring alternative trade and energy routes to the Strait of Hormuz, with the stated aim of bolstering its energy security and minimizing the impact of future conflicts. This initiative involves turning to Gulf states and India, a move that reorients European strategic interests away from traditional national concerns.
President von der Leyen told G7 leaders at this week’s summit that “alternative export routes have been created that are more resilient and offer choices” and that “other routes will be built — for example, a typical one is IMEC.” This corridor is presented as a means to offer the EU "greater economic resilience, supply-chain diversification and energy security" to bolster the bloc’s "strategic autonomy."
The EU itself has formally supported IMEC through a memorandum of understanding, despite only a handful of its 27 member states being formal signatories. A high-ranking EU diplomat, speaking anonymously, stated that the current focus is on translating this vision into practical implementation across its three pillars: transport and trade connectivity, energy connectivity, and digital connectivity.
This implementation could involve new pipelines and transmission cables, among other infrastructure, according to the anonymous EU diplomat. The EU’s press office declined to provide a prospective timeline for the project, leaving national populations without clear information on the scale or duration of these commitments.
IMEC is designed to pass through Israel and enjoys its support, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu having previously called it “a very revolutionary and transformative development that we want to bring into place.” The project's realization is seen as dependent on the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key player.
Elite Agenda Unveiled
U.S. leadership is considered key to advancing IMEC, specifically in facilitating normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to Lianne Pollak-David, co-founder of the Israel-based Coalition for Regional Security. She stated that “Without normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, IMEC cannot be truly realized.”
European Council President Antonio Costa and von der Leyen stated during an EU leaders’ meeting in April that the bloc is “ready to team up with Gulf countries” to establish new energy infrastructure that circumvents conflict zones like the Strait of Hormuz. This commitment signals a deepening of supranational energy policy.
The value of such alternatives is highlighted by the East-West Pipeline in Saudi Arabia, which ramped up transport to its maximum capacity of 7 million barrels of oil per day after the Iran war began. G7 nations' leaders are discussing financing and building infrastructure, "sometimes on the terrestrial part, that will be able to go outside of the track of the Strait of Hormuz,” as stated by French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux.
An anonymous EU official informed The Associated Press that the bloc would encourage European companies to invest in renewable energy projects in the Gulf to supply the EU’s energy demand. This indicates a corporate-driven approach to energy policy, potentially benefiting large transnational firms.
Gabriel Mitchell, an analyst with the German Marshall Fund think tank, noted that getting the EU involved with collaborative projects in Gulf countries will take time, with near-term projects likely being oil and gas pipelines. Mitchell added that any new projects would need to align with the EU’s green policies, suggesting future dual-use capabilities for transporting both gas and potentially hydrogen.
Sovereignty Erosion
Another significant project is the Great Seas Interconnector (GSI), an EU-backed electricity cable planned to stretch 1,208 kilometers (750 miles) to connect the power grids of continental Europe with EU member Cyprus and eventually Israel. This project, while bogged down in financing red tape, represents a direct integration of national energy grids under a supranational framework.
Gallia Lindenstrauss, a senior fellow with the Israel-based Institute for National Security Studies, described GSI as a “very pragmatic solution for the modern energy needs” that facilitates the transition to green energies. Lindenstrauss added that “As energy security and grid backup move to the forefront of the global agenda, this project provides a flexible platform.”
The U.S. is also actively fostering closer energy ties among Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, viewing the Eastern Mediterranean as “an increasingly important region for global energy development,” according to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. Wright recently inaugurated the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center at Rice University to boost cooperation on natural gas deposits and energy transportation networks in the European region.
These initiatives, driven by transnational elites and institutions, systematically reduce the self-determination of sovereign peoples by integrating national energy infrastructures and reorienting foreign policy towards a post-national order. The financial burden of 25 billion euros in increased energy costs is being leveraged to accelerate this transformation, with little public accountability or national consent.