Investment projects of interest to the Community in the petroleum, natural gas and electricity sectors

The ESC welcomed the reformulation of the existing legislation in a new regulation on investment projects of interest to the Community in the petroleum, natural gas and electricity sectors. It considered, however, that the information required under the regulation should comply solely with the requirements of energy policy and equipment manufacture planning; this would help to improve environmental protection. The ESC welcomed the amendments made as regards the reduction of the quantity of information required and the extension of the deadlines for reaching the Commission. It also urged the Commission to: - facilitate the functioning of the internal market in energy; - respect the principle of administrative transparency and simplification in the procedure for obtaining information; - revise Regulation (EEC) No 3025/77 and include Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee among the recipients of the report to be published; - extend the notification requirement to thermal power stations with a capacity below 200 MW.