Brussels, 04/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic spoke to press of the “broad consensus” in the policy debate in the College of Commissioners on Wednesday 4 February with regard to the main points for establishing the energy union project accompanied by a future-facing climate policy.
“We highlighted the importance of an energy union with citizens at its centre. This is a project that does not stop at the borders of the Union but extends to neighbouring countries which cooperate with us in the energy community”, Sefcovic said.
He set out four key reasons for establishing an energy union. Firstly, the need to reduce the EU's dependence on non-EU suppliers, costing €400 billion annually and making it “vulnerable”. Then, the “need for a strong single market”: to complete the energy internal market, the EU has to get rid of the administrative and technical barriers that are preventing this market from operating properly, he said. He also underlined the need to put mechanisms in place for involving neighbouring countries in each member state's strategic decisions on energy policy. Lastly, this project will tackle energy poverty: “10% of the EU population cannot afford to pay its energy bills”, he lamented.
“We have done all in our power to speed up the preparatory work. We believe that the current lower gas and oil process give us the opportunity to speed up our energy policy at EU level and to use the money saved for infrastructure”, Sefcovic went on to say. Fourteen commissioners are working together on this project, based on “a holistic approach to see how energy may be better managed while taking account of energy and climate policies, and also transport, industrial policy, trade and agriculture”, he said (our translation throughout).
Energy union is based on five dimensions: strengthening energy security and solidarity, including the pooling of resources, joint purchasing of gas, increased transparency on the individual agreements signed by member states with their third-country suppliers and enhanced energy diplomacy, completion of the internal market, reducing energy demand and improving energy efficiency, decarbonising the EU's energy mix and research and innovation.
The package to be unveiled on 25 February will comprise four documents: a strategic framework together with a roadmap for implementation, an implementation plan for improving cross-border interconnections and a roadmap for the EU climate conference at the end of 2015. (EH)