Wroc³aw, 20/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - European energy ministers meeting in informal Council in Wroc³aw, Poland, on 19-20 September, discussed EU external energy policy, new energy infrastructure to be put in place and the consequences for the EU of the German decision to stop using nuclear power.
According to Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, Europe's preference for developing gas is an open secret: “Gas will play an increasingly important role in our energy policy. We will have to put in place infrastructure which reflects this. This will involve the transmission of electricity and gas, and also storage”. Legislative proposals will be brought forward in October. Oettinger and Polish Economic Minister Waldemar Pawlak were of one mind when they spoke of “a historic infrastructure development plan for the expansion of gas and electricity networks”. Speeding up procedures is likely to be crucial to new legislation. Other key partners will take part in the infrastructure construction: “Outside the EU, other countries of the energy community are partners: Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, and also Albania, Bosnia Macedonia, Georgia, the Republic of Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine”, the Polish minister stated before adding: “This is an important policy for the EU and also for its neighbouring partners. At the start of September, we began the extraction of schist gas in Poland. This changes the energy balance in the EU”.
The unilateral decision by Germany to end nuclear power by 2022 took up a large part of the ministers' discussions. “The German decision has consequences for the European energy system”, acknowledged Pawlak, “especially as similar moves are expected in Italy and Switzerland”. The Polish Presidency conceded that such energy decisions are for member states alone to make, but highlighted the need for coordination at EU-level: “We have to keep one another informed, so that we can take the correct decisions”. Commissioner Oettinger preferred to put the consequences for Europe of Germany's decision into context: “We are talking about 5% less electricity generation”. (VW/transl.rt)