Brussels, 11/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - During a presentation to the European Parliament's Energy, Industry and Research Committee on Monday 11 January, the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp, displayed a rather cautious approach when he put forward the Presidency of the Council of the EU's priorities for the first six months of 2016 in the energy arena.
In response to Belgian MEP Kathleen Van Brempt's (S&D) rather provocative quip, “you're Dutch, you are sober and cautious”, with regard to the country's level of ambition, Kamp replied, “we don't want to string you along but rather, carry out a reasonable and well thought out policy”.
Kamp confirmed that “implementation of the Energy Union and coherent approaches in energy, sustainability and climate, are at the centre of the Dutch Presidency's work programme”. He highlighted the Dutch sustainable growth model and regional cooperation.
The Dutch Minister explained: “The Netherlands will continue work on developing the Energy Union. A single and well-connected market is essential for energy security and the diversification of supply, in favour of sustainability and affordable energy prices”. He also highlighted the fact that the foundations for the Energy Union project were “trust and solidarity, decarbonisation, energy efficiency and the need to speak with a single voice on the international stage”.
The Dutch Presidency welcomed the recent European Parliament report on the Energy Union, adopted during the plenary on 15 December 2015 (see EUROPE 11454), which provides “the main guidelines” to the Council. The Minister promised “We're going to have another decisive year for the Energy Union. Our Presidency's efforts will be made in an attempt to put this work into practice”.
Energy efficiency is at the centre of the Netherlands' priorities. Kamp insisted that “a lot of work still needs to be done” in this field. He explained that the draft regulation setting out a revised framework for energy saving product labelling, jointly presented with the 2015 summer package for the Energy Union (see EUROPE 11360) and which had now been the subject of negotiations with the European Parliament since the Council produced a general approach on this text at the end of November 2015 (see EUROPE 11439), will be, “one of the major priorities” of the Presidency.
Kamp also said that he wanted to push forward the work on the two key legislative proposals underpinning the Energy Union, promised by the Commission for next February. These include the revision of the regulation on gas supply security and the revision of the 2012 decision setting out an information exchange mechanism on intergovernmental agreements in the energy field between EU member states and third countries. The Minister promised “the Dutch Presidency wants to ensure that member states are able to help each other better”.
In the context of energy security, Kamp also highlighted the fact that the Netherlands believed there was a need for greater diversification of sources and supply routes, as well as improved use of local energy sources, greater energy efficiency and better energy diplomacy. The Minister said that “in order to achieve the Energy Union, we need better coordination”. He highlighted the need to strengthen regional cooperation, particularly with regard to the offshore wind turbine network in the North Sea and in the area of infrastructure and use of land.
In reply to the Luxembourg MEP, Claude Turmes (Greens/EFA) regarding the controversial dossier involving the doubling of capacity from the Nord Stream gas pipeline, managed by the Russian Gazprom company, in partnership with five West European energy companies, Nord Stream-2, Kamp was more circumspect. Although Turmes highlighted the “risks” that this project presented at a geopolitical level and in relation to Central and Eastern European supply security, as well as the “tensions” that it could provoke between member states when the Energy Union is being implemented, Kamp simply pointed out that “this project was private but it was important for it to respond to the demands made by the 3rd liberalisation package”.
On the question of the electricity market, Kamp promised to stimulate work on the new electricity market, on the basis of the proposals put on the table by the Commission, as part of its summer 2015 package on the Energy Union (see EUROPE 1356), in an effort to achieve a result on this dossier under the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2016.
The Dutch Minister concluded “We will attempt to develop a good trio of Presidencies”. As part of the common work programme for the Council of the EU for the next 18 months (January 2016-June 2017), the Netherlands, Slovakia and Malta are committed to continuing with implementation of the Energy Union, as well as a “complete and fully operational internal energy market by concentrating on interconnection, regional cooperation and international relations”. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)