Brussels, 29/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - The informal meeting of the Energy Council in Gödöllõ on 2-3 May will be given over to preparation of the EU energy roadmap 2050, which the Commission hopes to present in November.
With Tamas Fellegi of Hungary in the chair, European energy ministers will hold an initial exchange of views on the long-term EU energy strategy, providing thus a contribution to the work being carried out by the European Commission on a roadmap which will be brought forward in November. Ministers will use a background paper from Commissioner Günther Oettinger as the basis for their discussions.
The energy roadmap is part of the EU's commitment to reduce CO2 emissions to 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050. It also follows on logically from the roadmap for transition by the EU to a low-carbon economy by 2050, which was adopted by the Commission on 8 March, and focuses on decarbonising the energy sector. “The energy roadmap will present policy challenges for the decarbonisation of the energy sector while preserving the competitiveness of industry and strengthening energy security”, says a background note from Oettinger's staff. Its aim is to sustain a debate on the long-term EU strategy, bearing in mind the objectives of safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy in line with a market-based approach energy policy. “Markets must be capable of triggering investment, including the capital-intensive, long-lived investment which all transitions to a low-carbon energy system need. For energy markets to do this, investors need to see the long-term strategy into which today's policy and regulatory decisions fit. The EU has also chosen cooperation and interdependence among member states, so clarity on the long-term direction in EU energy policy and its implications is essential for citizens throughout the Union and their governments”, the note goes on.
The Commission sees that member states and energy sector stakeholders need to provide answers to a series of pertinent questions to fuel the debate on the energy roadmap 2050: How can the credibility of work on the transition to a low-carbon energy system by 2050 be ensured? Given that EU energy policy is increasingly influenced by developments in global energy supply and demand, international cooperation on climate and initiatives taken outside, which developments should be considered in the energy roadmap 2050? What societal challenges and opportunities are likely in Europe over the coming decades as a result of changes in the EU and global energy system? Which are the main areas for further policy development at EU level from a 2050 perspective? Which milestones would it be useful to specify at this stage for the transition to a low-carbon energy system in Europe? What are the most likely drivers for the future energy mix? Ministers will try to provide the beginnings of answers in Hungary next week. (E.H./transl.rt)