Brussels, 05/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - The President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, and former President of the European Commission Jacques Delors, founder of the Notre Europe thinktank, issued a statement on Wednesday 5 May 2010 calling for the setting up of a European Energy Community to meet the challenges of climate change, energy security and the economic crisis.
They explain that Europe needs a stronger common energy policy to guarantee access to energy at a reasonable and stable price, to preserve competitiveness, promote sustainable developmental and encourage a low carbon footprint. Such a policy should mobilise investment to encourage tomorrow's industrial prospects and ensure secure energy supplies to everyone in Europe, explain Buzek and Delors.
Although crowned with success, EU policies for liberalising energy supplies are no longer sufficient in themselves and therefore the two politicians call for the setting up of a European Energy Community to implement an effective common energy policy based on an initial group of Member States that are prepared to commit to the project and are able to use of strengthened cooperation to drive the project forwards.
In order for it to be joined-up and coherent, Buzek and Delors say the EU's energy policy will require measures like strengthened energy networks, diversification of supply by making greater use of renewable energy sources and greater investment in green technology R&D, greater energy efficiency for both production and the end consumer (to be achieved by a change of behaviour) and a 'single interface' for EU relations with the rest of the world, particularly energy producing and transit countries.
The EU has to be able to pool energy supply capacity and organise coordinated supply where it is felt to be needed, explain the politicians. In the longer term, if the EU is faced with a big energy crisis, then strategic common energy reserves must be set up and managed across the entire continent in a spirit of solidarity, they argue.
The statement is based on an idea by Jacques Delors, developped by Notre Europe (EUROPE n° 10112). (E.H. trans fl)