Brussels, 30/11/2005 (Agence EUROPE) - Two political debates will dominate the work of the Energy Council of 1 December, which will be chaired by the British energy Minister, Malcom Wicks. These are:
The impact of the implementation of the second package for the liberalisation of the internal gas and electricity markets (directives 2003/54 EC and 2003/55 EC of June 2003). The debate will take account of the results of the informal summit of Hampton Court on 27 October, recent reports by the Commission on the functioning of the internal energy market and the initial results of the sectorial survey carried out by DG Competition (reports adopted by the Commission on 15 November: EUROPE 9068). The debate will be guided by a working document of the UK Presidency based around four questions: transposition, implementation and transparency of second liberalisation package; competencies and independence of regulatory authorities; reinforcement and integration of markets; improved access to networks for third parties.
Interactions between climate change and sustainable energy, against the backdrop of the meeting of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Montréal (from 29 November to 9 December). The work will use as its starting point a working document of the Presidency, which puts the following questions: how can the energy agenda contribute to decisions on climate change and competitiveness?; what is the role of developing sustainable energy sources and sustainable energy technologies?; what are the priorities of the Member States in terms of energy efficiency?; how can they work with the Commission under its action plan on energy efficiency, to be presented in the first half of 2006?
The Energy Council will also discuss international energy cooperation, and the Presidency will report on the meeting of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council, which was held in London on 3 October (EUROPE 9041), and will inform the ministers of progress of EU-OPEC energy dialogue (a second ministerial meeting is scheduled for 2 December. The Presidency will also inform the Council of the signature of the Community Energy Treaty in Athens on 25 October (EUROPE 9052 and 9056), and on recent developments with the Energy Charter Treaty.