Brussels, 28/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Launched following the communication on the new industrial policy adopted by the Commission last October (see EUROPE 9042), the High Level Group on Competitiveness, energy and the environment, which, over the next two years, will aim to foster closer coordination between policy and legislative initiatives and to contribute to creating a more stable and predictable regulatory framework, met for the first time in Brussels on 28 February (see related article). Chaired jointly by Commissioners Günter Verheugen (Industry and Enterprise), Andris Piebalgs (Energy), Stavros Dimas (Environment) and Neelie Kroes (Competition) and made up of representatives from the European Parliament and stakeholders from industry, the unions, regulators and NGOs (see below), the High Level Group will explore ways to unleash the growth potential of basic and intermediate product industries by further integrating competitiveness, energy and environmental policies and ensure that initiatives taken in each of these fields are mutually compatible. In order to achieve progress on sustainable development and competitiveness, the Group will provide advice for action on: - the functioning of energy markets, particularly the electricity and gas markets; - climate change, particularly the emissions trading scheme, energy efficiency and renewables including energy taxation and removal of harmful subsidies; - the implementation of DG Environment's thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste and related legislation; - more rational use of resources; - development and use of environmental and other innovative technologies; - practical implementation of best principles for regulation.
Each member of the group will designate a personnel representative in a “Sherpa sub-group” that will work in close collaboration with the Commission services, prepare discussions, opinions and recommendations for action and/or political measures. In order to deal with some specific issues and aid reflection, the Group will request opinions from experts and contributions from the ad hoc groups.
During their first discussion session, which saw Mr Piebalgs provide a brief insight into the main elements of the Commission Green Paper on the Union's new energy strategy (which will be adopted on 8 March), and Ms Kroes present the results from the sectoral investigation on the internal energy market (EUROPE 9133), High Level Group members received an update on working methods and priority discussion subjects for the following meetings: how the energy markets work, in an effort to assess its short and long term impact on competitiveness in the industry, on the environment and investment incentives; the Community system for emissions trading, to provide a boost for revising the system, notably by evaluating the impact on electricity prices and setting a level playing field; competitiveness in the large energy consuming industries; energy efficiency, to assess its impact on competitiveness, analyse the barriers on the market and means of funding in an effort to increase awareness of the public at large and the need for energy saving. The 2nd meeting of the High Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the Environment is scheduled for 2 June this year.
In addition to the four Parliament representatives who have not yet been named, the Group will be composed as follows: - for Member States, Austrian Minister for Economy and Labour Martin Bartenstein, German Minister for Economic Affairs Michael Glos, British Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alan Johnson and Finland's Minister for Trade and Industry Mauri Pekkarinen; - other stakeholders are Bertrand Collomb (President of Lafarge, cement), Thomas Leysen of Belgium (CEU Umicore, non-ferrous metals and aluminium), Eduard G. Krubasik of Germany (Member of the Corporate Executive Committee of Siemens AG, technology), Ernest-Antoine Seillière of France (CEU of Wendel and UNICE President, steel), Jan Aström (CEO SCA, paper), Theo Walthie of the Netherlands (Dow Chemical Europe, chemical products), Rafael Miranda Robredo of Spain (CEU Endesa, energy production), British Iain Conn (CEO BP, renewables and petroleum and gas), Anne Lauvergeon of France (Chairwoman of the Executive Board of AREVA, electricity transmission and distribution networks), Willy Bosmans of Belgium (Chairman of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee of Distrigas, gas), British Robin Bidwell (CEO of ERM, technology/uptake), Björn Stigson (President of WBCSD, NGO), American James Leape (Director General WWF, NGO), Mikael Karlsson of Sweden (President of EEB and Swedish Nature Conservation Society, NGO), British John Monks (General Secretary of ETUC, trade unions), Gert Zijl of the Netherlands (Member of the Board of the Dutch Competition Authority, consumers), British Sir Ken Collins (Chairman of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, environmental regulator), and British John Mogg (Non-executive Chair of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, OFGEM, energy regulator).