13/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - After the recent terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the Energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio announced that the EU welcomed and congratulated OPEC for the announcement that it was prepared to increase oil production in order to avoid a speculative increase in oil prices. She felt this was an extremely responsible attitude and stressed that with current oil production reaching 3.5 million barrels a day, there was still room for manoeuvre and there was, therefore, no risk of supplies running out. The Commissioner said that she would be looking into the issue in more detail when she meets the Secretary General of the oil exporting countries in Vienna at the end of September.