Brussels, 19/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission and the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman) are to meet in Brussels, from 22 to 25 January, the Joint Working Group on energy issues. The main point on the agenda of this session of the group, established in the context of the June 1998 cooperation agreement, will be the security of supplies of oil and gas. The debate will, however, mainly focus on the trade in gas for which the share in energy consumption in Europe should increase in diversification to the oil market.
The meeting announces the resumption of dialogue on supply security, begun but soon suspended, in 1995, it being impossible to convince that it was useful to discuss it between the EU and this group of oil producers, four of which are influential members of OPEC. The interest for such dialogue between producers and consumers revived last year in the context of price increases for hydrocarbons. The Green Paper on energy supplies security presented on 29 November last by the European Commission had confirmed this European concern given the pressure of oil prices, and Ms de Palacio, Energy Commissioner, had noted the strong European wish for the establishment of better consultation.