Brussels, 03/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Italian Presidency, which took over the reins of the Council on Tuesday 1 July, will focus its efforts on four closely-linked pillars of the EU's energy policy - the framework for climate and energy policy up to 2030, energy security, completion of the single energy market, and external energy policy. It also wants to promote an approach that takes account of the impact of policies on energy prices and industrial competitiveness in all areas.
The primary objective of the Italian Presidency's programme is to facilitate an agreement on the 2030 energy/climate framework at the European Council on 23-24 October. The EU energy ministers will discuss this issue at an informal meeting on 6 October.
The Presidency's second objective is to promote an in-depth debate on the strategy for the EU's energy security - a strategy that was presented by the European Commission at the end of May (see EUROPE 11090) and takes into account the initiative adopted by the G7 energy ministers in May (see EUROPE 11073 and 11095).
The Presidency will also lead a debate on the Commission's next communication on energy efficiency and its relation with the 2030 framework. As far as this is concerned, “the proposed system of governance will be further defined in order to take account of the national specificities in terms of the energy mix and the degree of dependence on fossil fuels, knowing that the discussions on the framework for energy and climate policy up to 2030 will also contribute to a common European vision of the energy mix”, says the Presidency.
As regards completing the single energy market by the end of 2014 - “an absolute priority” - the Italian Presidency will focus the debates on member states' progress in transposing the third liberalisation package and also on their full implementation of the second package. Rome also wants to stimulate debate on promoting and quickly adopting network codes for electricity and gas networks (through increased cooperation and dialogue between transport network managers, and by using the possibilities offered by the Florence and Madrid forums). The Presidency also wants to start debate on the Commission's communication on retail market trade.
In the light of the new objectives for interconnection (proposed by the Commission in its energy security strategy), the Italian Presidency wants to concentrate eforts on achieving new interconnection capacities towards the less interconnected European regions and on achieving new capacities for reverse flows. It also wants to concentrate its work on the coordinated development of regional emergency plans. In addition, the Presidency wants to ensure the follow-up on implementing the regulation on trans-European energy infrastructures, and to ensure that projects of common interest (PCIs) have access to real advantages in terms of financing and authorisation. “Within this framework, it will also be useful to evaluate other projects not included in the list of PCIs which could improve energy security”, the Presidency states. Rome undoubtedly intends to promote the Italian-Russian South Stream gas pipeline, which is not on the list of PCIs.
As regards external energy policy, the Italian Presidency wants to promote technical- and political-level debate at the Council on the future measures to take in order to reduce external energy dependence. The Presidency also wants to stress Euro-Mediterranean relations. As far as this is concerned, the Italian Presidency wants to organise an event highlighting the development of interconnection projects and the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the countries of North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya) and the South-East Mediterranean (Cyprus and Israel). It also wants the event to highlight the safety of offshore hydrocarbon prospection, exploration and production activities. In addition, Rome wants to continue fostering the opening of the southern gas corridor in order to link the resources from the Caucasus and Caspian Sea to the European market, and it wants to encourage better use of regasification terminals in order to take advantage of the development of the international LNG market.
The Italian Presidency places great importance on refining and the future of this sector. Rome will continue the debate, which was started in 2012, with a presentation of the fitness check of EU legislation in the refining sector. The fitness check began with the Commission's REFIT programme. Taking account of the results of the fitness check, the Presidency will promote the adoption of measures proposed by the European refining forum and encourage stronger coordination between energy experts and industrial policy experts.
Lastly, the Presidency wants to advance and possibly finalise work on the directive on taking account of indirect land use change (ILUC) in the sustainability criteria for biofuels. This directive is due to amend the directives on fuel quality and renewables. With great effort, the Energy Council reached an agreement at first reading in mid-June on the text tabled by the Commission in October 2012 - a text paving the way for a negotiation at second reading with the European Parliament (see EUROPE 11100). (EH)