Brussels, 12/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - According to the European Parliament, increased coordination and supplier diversification are the keys to the common external energy policy.
In a resolution adopted in plenary session on Tuesday 12 June, on the basis of the report by Hungarian Socialist Edit Herczog on cooperation between the EU and its energy partners, the European Parliament is appealing for enhanced coordination between member states and the Commission in energy relations with third countries, in order to fully benefit from the political and economic weight of the EU. In this context, it welcomes the draft Commission decision establishing an information exchange mechanism on inter-governmental agreements concluded between member states and third countries in the energy arena, and highlights the added value of the Commission opinion and assistance during the negotiating process, as a means of guaranteeing the compatibility of inter-governmental agreements with internal energy market legislation. Improved information exchange between member states on commercial contracts between energy suppliers and third countries would improve the position of the EU as a purchaser on the international market, explains the rapporteur in his presentation of the grounds for his report. The Parliament would also like EU level negotiations under the Council mandate to conclude inter-governmental agreements or infrastructure projects in crucial areas for the EU 27's long-term energy security.
The resolution also argues for increased diversification of energy sources and transit routes, as a way of enhancing the EU's energy independence. The Parliament therefore calls for an EU political strategy that is “co-ordinated and coherent” with regard to new energy suppliers and which pays particular attention to the improvement of competition conditions within the EU, so that new suppliers are able to penetrate the European market. MEPs underlined the importance of speeding up action on this, both to create new transport corridors in the Caspian Sea region or in the Mediterranean basin, and to strengthen existing corridors in the East in order to reach new remote suppliers (Australia, Canada, US, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, etc) and to increase the share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the EU. The Parliament also calls on the Commission to support the addition of a so-called energy security clause in trade agreements and association, partnership and co-operation agreements concluded with producer and transit countries. This clause would establish a code of conduct and explicitly include measures to be taken in the event of unilateral changes to conditions by one of the partners. (HE/transl.fl)