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Energy, Environment, Competitiveness: Results of First Meeting of the New High Level Group

The High Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the Environment (HLG), which was set-up by the European Commission on the basis of its Communication on Industrial Policy of 5 October 2005, met today in Brussels for its kick-off meeting. The Group, which has a mandate for two years, reached agreement on the working methods and on the subsequent subjects to be prepared for the next meeting:

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• The functioning of the energy markets in order to assess its short and long term impact on the competitiveness of industry, on the environment and on incentives for investment.
  
  
• The EU emissions trading scheme in order to give input to the review of the scheme, notably by investigating the impact on electricity prices, the issue of a level playing field for industry and methods of allocation.
  
  
• The competitiveness of European energy intensive industries, and in particular how access to energy inputs affect their competitiveness.
  
  
• Finally the energy efficiency in order to assess its impacts on competitiveness, analyse market barriers, and investigate financing mechanisms and means to increase awareness.
  
  

All these priorities are linked to the current policy agenda, in particular the sector inquiry on electricity and gas markets, the review of the EU emissions trading scheme, the Lisbon strategy, Hampton Court and the preparation of the Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

The meetings of the HLG, whose members are taking part on a personal basis, will be prepared by a group consisting of sherpas nominated by each member of the HLG. It will receive input from ad-hoc working groups which will cover the above-mentioned four subjects.

In its meeting today the Group had an extensive exchange of views on the basis of an oral report by Commissioner Andris Piebalgs on the main issues likely to be addressed in the forthcoming Green Paper on Energy which the European Commission will table in March as follow-up to the European Council Hampton Court. Furthermore, Commissioner Neelie Kroes presented the preliminary results of the sector inquiry on electricity and gas markets in Europe.

The next meeting of the HLG is foreseen for 2 June 2006.

For more information and list of participants see IP/06/226.

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