Brussels, 13/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The second formal meeting of the Energy Council under the Danish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers on Friday 15 June will be devoted to infrastructure, offshore oil and gas activities and the Roadmap 2050. Danish Energy Minister Martin Lidegaard hopes to be in a position to inform his fellow ministers that agreement has been reached with the European Parliament on the energy efficiency directive.
Infrastructure. The Danish Presidency will submit a progress report to the Council on the draft regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, brought forward by the Commission in October 2011 (see EUROPE 10475-10477). This report will focus on the chapters relating to projects of common interest and regulatory treatment.
Offshore oil and gas activities. Ministers will be briefed on progress on the draft regulation on the safety of offshore oil and gas prospection, exploration and production activities, presented by the Commission in October 2011 (see EUROPE 10484). The progress report sets out the main issues tackled and concerns raised by delegations, including those relating to the nature of the legal instrument, and also the role and remit of the relevant authority and the liability system and powers delegated to the Commission, which has proposed using delegated acts to amend the annexes of the regulation to the latest technological and procedural developments.
Roadmap 2050. The Council is due to adopt conclusions on the Energy Roadmap 2050, presented by the Commission in December 2011 (see EUROPE 10517) and debated at the informal Council in Horsens (see EUROPE 10598)./
Renewable energy. The Commission will present its new communication on renewable energy which was presented on 6 June (see EUROPE 10628) and which sets out guidelines for supporting the development of green energy until 2020 and beyond.
Energy efficiency. The Danish Presidency is expected to outline the outcome of negotiations on the energy efficiency directive following the sixth and final trialogue meeting on 13 June.
Nuclear, stress tests. The Commission will inform the Council of progress, after it and the ENSREG agreed at the end of April to extend the deadline for power station stress tests originally set for June (see EUROPE 10612). The Council ad hoc group on nuclear safety submitted its recommendations last week (see EUROPE 10628). (EH/transl.rt)