Wroc³aw, 20/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - While fully accepting Germany's sovereign right to decide to shut down its nuclear power stations by 2022, member states are pondering the consequences of this decision on the EU as a whole. Taking part in the informal meeting of EU energy ministers in Wroc³aw on 19-20 September, French minister Eric Besson was in combative mood, stating that “it should not be for Europe to pay the cost of Germany's decision no longer to use nuclear power”. “The internal electricity market requires solidarity which everyone must take on board. Our national decisions have an impact across Europe given the number of interconnections and permanent exchanges of electricity”, he argued. To address these concerns, the EU must ensure better cooperation on energy among member states, Besson said. He proposed, with the support of his German counterpart Philipp Rosler, that a European electricity coordination group on be set up. This group would be made up of network managers, regulators and member states' representatives. “National plans which might have a significant effect on supply and demand in more than one country would be systematically referred to this expert group”, Besson said. (VW/transl.rt)