Nicosia, 18/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Cypriot presidency is determined to adopt a draft regulation during its tenure to break the energy isolation suffered by certain island areas.
Meeting up on 17 September in Nicosia, European ministers for energy looked at the progress accomplished with the draft regulation on Trans-European energy infrastructures put on the table at the end of last year by the Commission (see EUROPE 10475 and 10477). Cypriot minister Neoklis Sylikiotis welcomed the fact that, “we have received extremely encouraging messages today and the main outcome is that the Council has reaffirmed its full support in the efforts of the Cyprus presidency, calling for the conclusion of negotiations by the end of the year”. The acting president of the Energy Council again highlighted the importance of this text for completion of the internal energy market by 2014 and as a means to end the energy isolation and energy insecurity suffered by the most vulnerable member states, such as Cyprus, due to its being an island.
The orientation debate between ministers focused on decisive questions that need to be reached by the end of the Cypriot presidency in December and involve an agreement on the regulation that covers priorities in the area of funding and projects that contain the highest added value, regulatory processing and the rationalisation of procedures for granting authorisations, in addition to the role played by regional groups in selecting projects of common interest. The opinions reached by the member states must be used to help the presidency finalise its negotiating brief, so that it can conclude, if possible, negotiations with the European Parliament this year. The “energy” committee at the European Parliament is expected to give its verdict on Tuesday 18 September regarding the amended text of Portuguese rapporteur, Antonio Fernando Correia De Campos (S&D), which was added to the ministerial agenda on the previous day. (EH/trans/fl)