Heads of state and government of EU Member States will meet in Brussels on Friday 4 February for the European Council. It has been flagged that energy will be a core topic of the meeting (in addition to innovation and political situation in North Africa). The Hungarian Presidency has published its official agenda, and the European Commission has completed with its own views:
- Completing the single energy market: by creating "the missing links" between energy networks, with a clear focus on infrastructures; by removing remaining market barriers and better integrate energy markets; both security of energy supply and deployment of renewable energies depends on a well working internal energy market, stresses in addition the Commission. The Commission is indeed much more precise as regards its expections for the forthcoming European Council. In particular, it sets itself a deadline in 2014 for making the internal energy market a reality, which calls for enforcement control of current legislation, concrete initiatives using notably ACER (European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators) and ENTSO (European Networks of Transmission System Operators) and eventually, while not mentioned, new legislation. Practical measures would include grid codes for transmission of electricity and gas, and the setting of tariffs at levels consistent with financing needs.
- energy efficiency (EE) and green technologies, with a European Action Plan on energy efficiency announced for 2 March, which "will include ideas for regulatory improvements as well as for innovative financial incentives". EE in buidlings and mobility will be prioritised. The Commission suggests Member States to use public procurement. Innovation and R&D are topics that the Commission would like to be followed by commitments by the Member States, as set in the SET Plan, in particular on: smart grids, new storage technologies, sustainable biofuels, energy savings soluations and smart cities.
- external relationships (see related Commission's public consultation) and import dependence. The Hungarian presidency mentions a discussion on "partnship mechanism that should be established with major energy producer and transit countries." The Commission stresses past efforts in terms of integration of energy markets and regulatory frameworks with international partners, via, inter alia, the Energy Community Treaty, but also the streamlining in negotiations of purchase agreements with producing countries and the extension of internal market rules to energy partners. It sets now the direction towards, on the one hand, "key hydrocarbon suppliers" based on a clear legal framework for new strategic routes of supply (Southern Corridor for gas, and Southern Mediterranean for solar energy and gas). The Commission has indeed precise expectations from the European Council, and is announcing a forthcoming Communication on EU's external energy policy.
As simply put by in a related MEMO: "Now is the time to further develop [the EU] toolbox to reach the objective of safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy."
Official agenda of the meeting from the Council (dated 3 February): HERE
References:
- Background note, Hungarian presidency, 01.02.2011;
- MEMO/11/58, European Commission, Energy policy - key issues for the European Council, 01.02.2011.
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