A confidential NATO report considers that Algerian gas carries risks to European security, due to Algeria's use of gas as a means of political pressure, Business Insider has reported in its German version.
According to Business Insider, citing the confidential report, Algeria, like Russia, uses gas to threaten and political pressure, pointing to Algeria's threat to Spain to cut off gas, in case of that Spain exports Algerian gas to Morocco.
There is currently a rupture between Morocco and Algeria due to political differences, and in this context, last November, Algeria did not renew the use of the "Maghreb-European" gas pipeline that crosses from Algeria to Morocco and Spain, after the expiry of the contract.
Based on these indicators, the "NATO" report described Algerian gas, during its assessment of the reliability of its dependence, as a security threat to Europe, which depends heavily on energy, and Algeria is considered the third supplier of the European continent.
It is clear from the report that the decisions taken by Algeria between last year and this year regarding gas have left a negative image on its reputation, especially after its decision to stop the use of the “Maghreb-European gas pipeline” and its recent threat to cut off gas from Madrid in case that Spain re-exports it to Morocco.
This report is not the first of its kind that warns against relying on Algeria as a reliable supplier in the field of gas, several European media reports, especially Spanish, have previously spoken on this issue, and considered that Algeria is using the gas card to exert pressure on Madrid in some issues, such as Moroccan Sahara issue.
These pressures were among the factors that prompted Madrid to search for new suppliers and reduce dependence on Algeria, such as increasing its imports of American gas, which became the first in the proportion of imports, surpassing Algerian imports, in addition to searching for new agreements to supply gas with other countries, such as Qatar.
