Brussels, 02/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The energy policy section of Friday 4 February's special European Council will examine security of energy supply, energy infrastructure and relations with non-EU energy supplying countries, explained Herman Van Rompuy's department on Wednesday. No actual decisions will be taken on Friday, when the political leaders will simply make a policy statement and set out in a conclusions document priority measures for the single market, infrastructure, energy saving, renewable energy sources and foreign policy.
With an eye to a future joined-up, interconnected energy market in Europe, the leaders are expected to stress the importance of full and rapid introduction by the member states of EU single market legislation, hoping to achieve a full electricity and gas market in Europe by 2014.
On energy efficiency, the European Council will call for determined action to make full use of the energy savings potential of buildings, transport and manufacturing, pointing out that 20% cuts are required by 2020 but this will not be achieved with business as usual. The leaders will also stress the exemplary role of the public sector in this domain. When it comes to environmentally-friendly energy, the European Council will call for greater cooperation between the European Commission and the member states in applying the EU Renewables Directive (of 2009), particularly the cooperation mechanisms and long-term aid at national level.
The European leaders will agree on updating the EU's energy infrastructure, linking up grids from one country to another. The Commission is expected to unveil measures to improve the authorisation process for big pan-European projects and governments will focus on getting the private sector to make the necessary investment. Only strategic projects that are not commercially viable will be granted limited public funding.
The politicians will promise to make energy solidarity operational by 2015 to ensure that no member state is unconnected from the EU energy grid, and also better coordination of national measures to ensure coherent relations between the EU and energy-transit countries like Russia, relations that they say need to be built upon in the form of strategic partnerships for all. Member states will be asked to provide the European Commission with clear information about their new and existing energy agreements with countries outside the EU by 1 January 2012.
The European Council will call for the drawing up of a long-term strategy to achieve the target of 80-95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. They say the strategy will require a revolution in energy systems that needs to start right now. (E.H./transl.fl)