Foundations Laid for New European Energy Policy

"The EU Energy Ministers have laid the foundations for a new European energy policy", Austrian Energy Minister Martin Bartenstein, current President of the Energy Council, said today, Tuesday, following the Extraordinary Energy Council convened in Brussels. "The European Commission set out the priorities for a secure, sustainable and competitive energy supply in Europe in its 'Energy Green Paper'; the ministers have today identified 26 measures and will recommend to the European Council nine key actions for an energy plan."

According to Bartenstein, the aim of this new 'energy policy' is to secure a balanced relationship between environmental sustainability, security of supply and competitiveness. Europe also needs to speak to its international partners in the energy field with one voice. For that reason, he said, it is necessary to establish a European energy foreign policy and to step up the dialogues and energy partnerships with producer and transit countries such as Russia. At the same time, the Energy Ministers are very much in agreement that Member States' sovereignty over the choice of primary energy sources and the energy mix has to be respected, Bartenstein stressed: "The use of nuclear energy is not an option for Austria in future either. That choice has now been endorsed as a result of this consensus among the Member States."

Nevertheless, Bartenstein said, Europe has to try to diversify more, both with regard to energy sources and to the choice of supply countries and transport routes. That will call for investment to the tune of 1 000 billion euro in the necessary infrastructure and technologies. At the same time, Europe also has to step up the use of renewable energy sources. The new energy policy therefore prioritises sustainability and promotion of the environmental dimension. Bartenstein: "Europe must become the world leader in energy efficiency and renewables."

The Ministers also agreed to develop common approaches to the management of crisis situations and thereby promote solidarity between the EU Member States. The new European energy policy also has to foster a functioning internal energy market and create an environment that will secure and develop the competitiveness of the European energy supply and improve market transparency. Europe now has the opportunity, Bartenstein said, to establish a secure, sustainable and competitive energy supply: "We must and we will seize this opportunity in order to clear the way for an energy policy geared to the requirements of the 21st century."

Energy Efficiency Directive Adopted

The Energy Ministers also adopted the directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services. Member States have thereby set themselves the objective of reducing their energy consumption by 1% per annum over a period of nine years. Bartenstein: "This directive is a milestone in European energy policy. The Member States have the target of a 9% energy saving in 9 years. The energy efficiency directive is an important step towards achieving the potential of a 20 % saving in energy in practice by 2020."

The Member States now have to draw up three energy efficiency action plans. The first action plan must be presented to the Commission by 30 June 2007, the remaining two by 30 June 2011 and 2014 respectively. The Member States have to describe their energy efficiency measures in all three plans. The directive also creates the conditions for developing the market in energy services, and requires the public sector to lead by example.

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