Brussels, 11/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 10 February, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger chaired the first meeting of the high-level group on the North-South interconnection, which has been tasked with drafting a detailed action plan with specific priority projects and necessary actions, together with cut-off dates for the electricity, gas and oil interconnections from North to South, between the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia are full members of the group and Croatia has observer status. Thursday's meeting decided on the terms of cooperation between the stakeholders. The European Executive hopes that the anticipated action plan will be approved in the second half of this year. (E.H./transl.fl)