BRUSSELS, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Most Europeans favor a region-wide effort to secure energy supplies in the event of a crisis, a survey commissioned by European lawmakers found.
European supplies of natural gas were disrupted by a 2009 dispute between Ukraine and Russia over payment issues. About 80 percent of all Russia's natural gas bound for Europe runs through Soviet-era pipelines in Ukraine and the dispute left Europeans in the cold for several weeks.
A survey commissioned by the European Parliament indicated that most Europeans told interviewers they favored a regional response to any sort of energy crisis. About 79 percent of respondents, told pollsters they favored energy solidarity among member states.
Around 77 percent of those interviewed in the December poll said it was in the interest of their country of origin to come to the rescue of other countries of an energy crisis ensued like in 2009.
The European Parliament in September approved a draft measure that would secure gas supplies and the bloc level.
Herbert Reul, chairman of a European energy committee, said in a statement that it's clear from the survey that most Europeans "have a strong interest" in regional energy issues.
Pollsters interviewed 26,574 adult Europeans in person during the first half of December. No other statistical analysis was given for the results.
