The Council
held a policy debate on the Commission's Green Paper on “a European Strategy
for
Sustainable,
Competitive and Secure Energy”.
At the end of
the debate the EU Energy ministers confirmed that a New Energy Policy for Europe is needed.
Regarding
environmental sustainability, Member States underlined:
- confirming
the EU leadership in Energy efficiency by presenting an ambitious but realistic
Action Plan on Energy Efficiency, with a view to exploiting fully the
potential for 20% energy saving by 2020;
- confirming
the EU leading role in renewables by developing a long term strategy for
the effective promotion of renewables (Road Map), and implementing the
Biomass Action Plan, considering also long term goals;
- completing
the review of the EU CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme as an instrument to achieve
climate change objectives in a cost-effective manner;
- ensuring
adequate support from RD & D national and Community instruments to alternative
and renewable energies with a view to increase their part in the energy
mix of the European Union;
- assessment
of the potential of the various sectors with respect to the global
climate protection goal.
Regarding
security of supply, Member States underlined:
- Europe should speak with a common voice in support of energy policy
objectives when engaging third countries;
- the
development of energy dialogues between the EU and third countries, as
regards producer as well as consumer countries;
- the
participation of our neighbouring countries in the European Internal
Market, for example through an extension of the Energy Community;
- development
of an authentic and sustainable energy partnership with Russia;
- intensified
diversification of energy sources and with respect to supplier countries
and transport routes;
- ensuring
common operational approaches to address crisis situations and to
reinforce solidarity;
- development
of proposals on the physical security of networks.
Regarding
competitiveness the following issues were mentioned:
- ensuring
full, effective and transparent implementation of internal market
legislation, including as a prerequisite for the stimulation of growth
in Europe;
- accelerating
the development of regional energy markets within the EU and their integration
into the EU internal market by adequate interconnection;
- fostering
the coherent development of infrastructure, from storage to cross border
interconnections, and development of specific priorities for
infrastructure. Strengthening of and coordination between Member States'
energy regulators have also been mentioned;
- enhancing
transparency in the markets, chiefly in the gas markets, e.g. through
the establishment of a European energy observatory.
The President
stated that this has been only the first step in the debate and that he was
looking forward to summing up the discussion at the upcoming Council meeting
in June.