Brussels, 14/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - During the political debate on the Commission's Green Paper adopted on 8 March (EUROPE 9147) and in the perspective of the March European Council, Energy Ministers gave their “unanimous support” on Tuesday to the Commission's new strategy for a common approach to the energy issue. Commissioner for Energy, Andris Piebalgs, welcomed the news. Although a global approach was welcomed by all Ministers, there are many divergences between Member States concerning some of the new Commission proposals. Energy Ministers all supported the suggestion of a coherent external energy policy that would enable the Union to “speak with a single voice” on the international scene through enhanced energy dialogue with all its suppliers (Russia and Turkey in particular). Several delegations underlined the need for the Energy Community to be extended to other energy partner neighbours of the Union (Norway, for example) and to set up a Europe-wide Energy Community (with Mediterranean countries, for example). France was pleased that the Green Paper takes up the main guidelines of its Memorandum on Energy. The country also appealed for strengthened dialogue on energy with Algeria. Energy Ministers were unanimous in recognition of the importance of getting Moscow to sign the Treaty on the Energy Charter through a “sustained and strengthened energy partnership with Russia”, as emphasised by the Austrian Minister for the economy and President of the Council Martin Bartenstein. In connection with the setting up of new bodies, as suggested by the Commission (European regulator, European Supply Observatory, European Network Coordination Centre), several Member States, such as Portugal and Luxembourg, proved quite cautious, particularly in respect of the European regulator, which had not yet received support from Belgium and Ireland. Although Latvia is said to support implementation of a solidarity mechanism with gas suppliers, Germany urged them not to “invent what already exists” with regard to legislation on strategic oil and gas reserves that the Commission proposed to review. Poland, which briefly presented the Council with its draft treaty on energy security, which highlights a voluntary basis and solidarity and assistance mechanism to a country if their energy supply is threatened, declared that the Commission proposal on energy security was “insufficient”.