Brussels, 07/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - During the debate on aspects related to EU energy policy and consumers on Monday 6 September in Brussels, a clear consensus was obtained on the insufficient consideration of consumers during the internal energy market liberalisation process (a process that has been going on for the last ten years). This debate underpinned the work undertaken during the first day of the informal Energy Council under the Belgian Presidency. Presiding over the work, Paul Magnette welcomed the determination demonstrated by his European colleagues with regard to taking consumer interests more into account. He stated that “for the first time in 10 years” they had succeeded in having “genuine debate, free from taboos” on how liberalisation was being carried out. Whilst performing his role, the Belgian federal minister for energy never flinched from criticising the negative aspects of energy liberalisation affecting consumers and explained that this process had so far not led to increased transparency in the energy sector or to falling consumer prices. According to Magnette, this concern was shared by many of his colleagues on Monday. In light of a report on the internal market, presented by the former European commissioner Mario Monti, energy ministers all highlighted the insufficient consideration of consumer interests within the context of invoicing, choice of service provider and opportunities for appealing to an independent mediator in the event of litigation. In the context of the European year against poverty and social exclusion, the Belgian Presidency therefore seized the opportunity at a ministerial level, of examining the phenomenon of energy poverty. This is an increasing phenomenon because according to the most conservative estimates, more than 50 million European citizens a day are unable to maintain an appropriate level of comfort in their homes and have been unable to pay their bills or invest a minimum in energy efficiency measures. Following the day's debate, the Presidency concluded that this theme should continue to be included among the priorities on the European policy agenda and promised to work pro-actively towards educating and informing consumers. Magnette also warmly welcomed the proposal from the European Commission to work on a report for the Energy Council on 2 December, which would help to provide a framework definition of vulnerable consumers and harmonise statistical methods at a European level in order to better quantify the scale of energy poverty-related problems. It was also hoped that this proposal would help to identify existing European energy policies that were likely to lead directly or indirectly to greater awareness of consumer interests and promote the exchange of best practice between member states, as well as create a roundtable of energy ombudsmen who are able to discuss synergies in the sphere of consumer protection. (E.H./transl.fl)