Brussels, 17/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The External Relations and General Affairs Council on Monday adopted without debate the legislative package on the liberalisation of the internal market for energy, thus giving its go-ahead to the opening of the gas and electricity market for commercial customers on 1 July 2004 and to all consumers on 1 July 2007. After the positive vote by the European Parliament at second reading, on 4 June in Strasbourg (EUROPE of 6 June, p.15), the Council accepted the compromise amendments that came out of the three way discussion between the three European institutions, which had allowed conciliation procedure on this issue to be avoided. The legislative package (which includes two directives aimed at speeding up the opening of the electricity and the gas markets respectively, and a regulation on the conditions for access to the network for the trade in electricity) will take effect on the 20th day after publication in the Official Journal.