A team of energy experts assembled by the European Commission arrived in Kiev today to begin work monitoring gas flows from Russia to the EU via Ukraine.

The leaders of Russia and Ukraine were warned today to stop treating Europe’s gas supply as a “hostage” in their continuing dispute over unpaid bills.

RUSSIAN prime minister Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine yesterday of “severe consequences” if it disrupted gas supplies to Europe, as another New Year’s Eve energy dispute went down to the wire.

DRIVERS can cut their fuel bills by following a few guidelines that will also reduce CO2 emissions.

SCIENTISTS from the European Environment Agency have called for a halt to plans to increase the share of biofuels used in transport, to which EU leaders have committed themselves.

Russia’s natural gas monopoly warned Belarus today not to siphon gas from the main pipeline leading across its territory to Europe if it goes ahead with a threatened supply cut-off on New Year’s Day.

HOUSEHOLDERS can cut 20% off their household bills immediately by taking simple steps like covering saucepans and unplugging electrical devices so they are not on stand-by, according to the EU.

TODAY’S hard-hitting report from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Energy is a loud wake-up call for Government, a landmark document that underlines the need for radical policies to ensure national energy security, based on affordable and dependable supplies, critical to the economy.

IRELAND plans to take the European Commission to court in the latest move to have Sellafield closed.

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said today the EU executive was confident that Russia and Ukraine would solve a gas transit dispute that threatens Europe’s supply of natural gas.

Britain was today ordered to clean up the Sellafield nuclear plant after the EC complained current conditions prevented its safety inspectors from carrying out proper checks.