Brussels, 11/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with the Financial Times, the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, said he was confident that the Barcelona European Council would agree to liberalise the energy market, basing his hopes on "real progress in many conversations". He said he considered the non-household market could be liberalised, describing this as "a very major step, covering more than half of the market" and stressed the Commission was looking for a "strong engagement" for liberalisation of the household market". (See EUROPE of 9 March, p.3, on Romano Prodi's letter to the participants of the Barcelona Summit.)
Speaking on the same issue in Cernobbio (northern Italy) after a meeting of top economists, businessmen and officials, the European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti was also optimistic; "I have full confidence in the Spanish Prime Minister and in his capacity to reach an accord", he told reporters, adding that he expected "significant steps forward at the upcoming Barcelona talks". Failure to reach agreement risked bruising the EU's credibility, he said, noting "I'm sure it will be taken into account that these are issues on which Europe is expecting decisions, also because (the governments) aren't demanding an absolute majority" on proposals for gas and electricity, which he said could be taken by "qualified majority" voting.