Brussels, 31/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - At the General Affairs Council of European foreign ministers on Monday 31 January to prepare for the special European Council of 4 February, several delegations expressed reservations about the energy section of the draft European Council conclusions document (EUROPE 10304).
Germany and the Czech Republic say the target of completing the internal market in energy by 2014 is over-ambitious. Poland, most of whose energy comes from coal, wants the need to develop the EU's potential for the sustainable mining of fossil fuels to be added to the document, but this request sparked negative reaction from Sweden and Ireland. Belgium and Ireland called for more determined wording on energy efficiency.
France and the Czech Republic, in the form of a joint statement from ministers Laurent Wauquiez and Karel Schwarzenberg, point out that they hold similar views on the importance of promoting nuclear energy as a low-carbon energy to tackle climate change.
The final version of the draft conclusions document will be decided by the member states' representatives (sherpas) at the COREPER meeting on Wednesday. (E.H./transl.fl)