Brussels, 09/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with German daily Frankfurter Rundschau of Monday 8 November, European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger stresses that there have to be major players on the energy markets so that the infrastructure projects that are needed can be realised and the EU goals on security of supply achieved. Just before the commissioner unveils the new EU Energy 2020 strategy on 10 November (see EUROPE 10234) and the plan for energy infrastructure by 2020-2030 on 17 November (see EUROPE 10236), which estimates that investment of €1,000 billion will be required over the next decade to update and improve generation capacity and energy transmission, distribution and storage infrastructure, Oettinger's less than unequivocal position re-ignited debate on the thorny issue of unbundling, separating supply activities and operators' networks.
Assailed by a flood of questions on Tuesday 9 November, his spokeswoman Marlene Holzer tried to remove any misunderstanding. “The commissioner did not put in question the necessary unbundling, especially since member states have a choice as to the regime to be applied. What he was underlining are the possible drawbacks in terms of investments when pushing the transmission operators or distribution companies too far into an economic logic, notably when such operators are private, like in Germany, or being privatised. Infrastructure needs for investment are such that short-term returns should not compromise the medium- to long-term competitiveness of the sector,” Holzer says in a press release. “In these times of high investment needs and strong competition between actors in Europe, better be one strong network operator, like in France (Ed: where RTE operates), than four mid-sized players, like in Germany (Ed: where there are EON, RWE, Vattenfall and EnBW). Economies of scale are of the essence” was what Oettinger said to the Frankfurter Rundschau. (E.H./transl.rt)