98% of the oil and gas consumed in the European Union is imported from abroad.

Error detected

The claim asserts that 98% of both oil AND gas consumed in the EU is imported. While the oil import dependency rate is approximately 97% (96.6% in 2024, per Eurostat), the natural gas import dependency rate is 87.6% (2025, per Eurostat) — roughly 10 percentage points lower than claimed. The 98% figure cannot be applied to the combined 'oil and gas' category.

Omissions

• The MEP did not distinguish between oil import dependency and gas import dependency, which differ by roughly 10 percentage points.
• No specific time period or source was cited for the 98% figure.
• The overall EU energy import dependency rate (including renewables, nuclear, and solid fossil fuels) was 57% in 2024 — far lower than 98% — though this broader metric was not part of the claim.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat – Oil and petroleum products: a statistical overviewIn 2024, the EU's import dependency was 96.6% which is 1.7% higher compared to 2023.
• PrimaryEurostat – Natural gas supply statisticsIn 2025, the EU's natural gas import dependency rate was 87.6%.
• SecondaryBruegel – Dependence on fossil fuels, not on the United States, is Europe's worryIn 2024, the EU was 98 percent dependent on imports for oil and petroleum products. See Eurostat, 'Oil and petroleum products - a statistical overview'.