Brussels, 13/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - Energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio expressed the hope that the European Commission would be able to adopt, within the next three weeks, a Green Paper on the question of the EU's energy supply security, so that the document may be the subject of a first ministerial debate during the Energy Council on 5 December. The aim of this document, the draft of which is currently at the stage of inter-service consultation within the Commission, is to launch a "broad debate at every level" on the problem of the EU's energy dependence, which will increase with EU enlargement, said the Commissioner, speaking before a small group of journalists. According to Ms de Palacio, it is high time the EU had an "overall and global vision" and that it define a strategy for reducing its dependence. "So far, this matter has not been sufficiently discussed. In addition, reflection has been too much in terms of individual sectors with discussion of possible measures, without taking into account the impact that the latter would have on the problem of supply security as a whole", said the Commissioner, who stated she was aware that the debate in Council would be "complicated, but inescapable".
According to Ms de Palacio, the Green Paper will place emphasis on the need to reduce the EU's energy dependence by placing more store on:
- renewable energies. The Commissioner said she was in favour of greater support of renewable energies in Member States, not ruling out the possibility of having recourse to State aid under certain conditions ("other energies have also benefited from State aid", she remarked);
- improved energy efficiency in the EU ("we have the SAVE programme, but the efforts of Member States in this field remain insufficient");
- redirection of transport policy. There should be better balance in favour of public transport for passenger transport and in favour of rail and maritime/inland navigation for freight;
- the diversification of energy sources and supplier countries, as well as more dialogue with these producer countries;
- substitution of fossil fuels by less polluting energy sources, mainly gas. The Commissioner is, however, in favour of keeping a minimum base of coal production, to which the EU could have rapid access in times of energy crisis and the exploitation of which could be extended in times of need.
The problem of measures for reducing energy dependence must also be seen in the context of EU commitments taken in the Kyoto agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, "a commitment [to reduce by 8% the volume of emissions for 2010, compared to the 1999 level] which could only be respected with difficulty if radical measures are not taken in coming years", stressed Ms de Palacio.