Brussels, 07/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - During an official visit to Algeria, from 6 to 9 February, Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for transport and energy, reviewed cooperation between the EU and Algeria in energy and transport matters. The Commissioner met Algerian Minister for Energy and Mines, Chakib Khelil, and Transport Minister Abdelmalek Sellal. Emphasis was placed on Algeria's contribution to the EU's energy supply security and on maritime security in the Mediterranean.
Noting that excessive volatility of world oil prices has a detrimental effect not only on producer but also on consumer countries, Ms de Palacio and Mr Khelil stressed how important it is to strengthen cooperation in order to guarantee energy supply security. Ms de Palacio invited Algeria to consolidate its position as a traditional supplier of hydrocarbons to the EU, to play an active part in the new EU policy regarding strategic stocks of oil and natural gas (see EUROPE of 12 September, p.12) and to cooperate in the activities of the future system for observation of the EU's energy supply security. In this context, the EU and Algeria give priority to consolidating interconnection of existing hydrocarbon transport networks and to the construction of new infrastructure, in order to reach, in time, a fully integrated Euro-Mediterranean market. The gas interconnections will also be one of their priorities, especially the gas pipeline projects of common interests such as Medgaz and Galsi. Recalling the progress made in trade agreements with the countries of the Iberian Peninsula, the Algerian Minister invited the EU to accelerate interconnection within the European internal market, in order to allow full Euro-Mediterranean integration. Ms de Palacio, for her part, recalled that Community support will henceforth be possible via the Trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E) programme and thanks to the European Investment Bank facility (FEMIP) (in answer to questions on Friday concerning the destination clauses contained in certain gas contracts banning EU Member States having bought gas from Algeria from selling it to other Member States, Gilles Gantelet, spokesman for Loyola de Palacio, noted that these clauses were counter to Community law). The third cooperation axis is: - the setting up of a technical cooperation body for the creation of an integrated Euro-Maghreb electricity market, an initiative that will be supported in the context of the Euromed ministerial conference in Athens on 26 and 27 May. Finally, Mr Khelil and Ms de Palacio took stock of progress on reform in the energy sector in Algeria and on their cooperation in energy saving and renewable energies (mainly through an exchange of information on technology and norms, especially in the building and transport sectors, and the development of the large solar energy potential in Algeria).
Safety at sea at centre of co-operation between EU and Algeria
Recent accidents that occurred in the transport of hydro-fuels and chemical products off the European and Algerian coasts, and especially the sinking of the Prestige, convinced Ms. de Palacio, regarding co-operation with Algeria in matters of transport, to grant priority to safety art sea. Having discussed the question of the transport of oil through pipelines with the minister for Energy and confirmed the common interest in undertaking joint analyses on the use of these forms of transport, Loyola de Palacio dealt with this problem, in a more general context, with Transport minister Abdelmalek Sellal. Both placed emphasis on the urgency of taking harmonised measures to prevent large-scale disasters in the Mediterranean, and the need for effective co-operation between the countries on the shores of the Mediterranean. Recalling the recent measures proposed by the Commission aimed at banning the use of single-hulled ships aged over 23 years for carrying heavy fuel (see EUROPE of 20 December, p.11) and the proposals that the Commission should soon be making on criminal responsibility (see EUROPE of 6 February, p.11). de Palacio asked the Algerian authorities for their co-operation in view of a harmonised application of these measures, that would be proposed to all EU neighbouring countries (including Russia). She also invited Algeria to participate in the European Maritime Safety Agency (see EUROPE of 7 December, p.16). The Algerian minister confirmed that his country would give priority to safety at sea on Algerian coasts, as well as actively participating in regional measures with neighbouring countries. "Today's decision of ours of putting setting up a group of experts to draw up a co-operation programme in this sector is of utmost importance in the framework of the Algeria-EU Association Agreement. Like the international air traffic control system, we could collaborate in view of setting up a similar system for the shipping sector", he declared, asking for EU assistance in training shipping experts.
Loyola de Palacio and Abdelmalek Sellal agreed that their co-operation would also cover: (1) road transport safety, notably facilitation of transit throughout the countries of the Maghreb; (2) the modernisation and safety of the railways to take the pressure off road traffic; (3) the restructuring and modernisation of air transport and improving its safety; (4) upgrading the port facilities and the putting in place of effective instruments for the control and management of shipping. Finally, Ms. de Palacio called on the Algerian authorities to take an active part in the work on the European satellite navigation system Galileo and its precursor EGNOS, and briefed the minister on the launch of a Euromed GNSS project in 2003 to accompany the realisation of training and demonstration measures regarding satellite radio-navigation in Mediterranean countries.. A project in which the Algerian authorities want to co-operate actively, said Sellal.