Brussels, 09/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - By adopting on 7 June, in first reading and by a large majority, the report of Anne Laperrouze (ALDE, France) on orientations on Trans-European Networks in energy, Parliament has confirmed its support for developing an integrated pan-European gas and electricity market and given its support to the orientations by the Council and Commission (with the addition of some amendments) (EUROPE 8941).
Parliament is therefore proposing the updating of the list of projects approved by Member States. Laperrouze underlined that, “when it involves applying decisions, the Commission will have to check the validity of the projects”. He was referring to some projects that had been opposed on the ground. The rapporteur explained that Parliament had also proposed an annual financial envelope to be allocated to Trans-European networks in energy that had increased from the current EUR 20 million to EUR 60 million, “as this would enable them to better respond to environmental constraints which may need more complex feasibility studies”. This would also involve encouraging Member States to cooperate between themselves by way of trans-national studies on security of supply and environmental impact. The report focuses on simplification and prioritising projects of common interest that figure in the annex. Despite this improvement, German Green Rebecca Harms criticised during the debate this “catalogue of 300 projects of European interest that would help the European oligarchies profit when they were already too powerful”. The introduction of projects linked to olefin projects (annex II) allowing these projects to obtain EIB loans but without granting a right to funding from Trans-European Networks. According to the rapporteur, this amendment justifies “not only the importance of such networks for the European chemical industry but also the gains in security and for the environment resulting from a decrease in road transport”. The report intends to clarify the role of the European coordinator, which is expected to be limited to “projects experiencing implementation problems”. The draft decision Parliament will be speaking on aims to adapt orientations and funding of projects in the enlarged Union. During the debate, Guntar Krasts (UEN, Latvia) said that this decision involved the “physical integration” of the EU” and had to prioritise the three Baltic states which were still excluded from the market.