Brussels, 10/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs welcomed the latest annual report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) on global energy prospects, published on Tuesday (see EUROPE 9303). Mr Piebalgs states in a press release that the report, which stresses the need for strong political action in the field of energy at world level, is a useful instrument for preparing Europe's energy strategy that the Commission is to present during January, and which must serve as a base for the new European Energy Policy. “According to current trends identified by the IEA, global primary energy demand will increase by 53% between now and 2030. This will accentuate consuming countries' vulnerability to a severe supply disruption and resulting price shock, as well as amplifying the magnitude of global climate change. This is precisely what the new European Energy Policy wants to prevent”, the Energy Commissioner went on to say. (eh)