Brussels, 14/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Commission expressed its sadness at the death of former Commission Vice-President Loyola de Palacio on Wednesday evening in Madrid. Ms de Palacio was in charge of transport and energy policy between 1999 and 2004. Vice-President Jacques Barrot, today in charge of transport policy, said Ms de Palacio was a woman of conviction, a committed European, and that she had left her mark on the European Commission. She mainly worked to ensure there was progress on transport and energy in Europe. Responsible for relations with the European Parliament, she established confident and constructive cooperation with MEPs to the benefit of the Union, he said. To the very end, she worked unrelentingly to the service of Europe. She had thus continued to work alongside Mr Barrot as a coordinator for achievement of the trans-European transport networks and their extension towards the Union's neighbouring countries. Andris Piebalgs, currently Commissioner for Energy, also recalled the work carried out by Ms de Palacio who “put in place the foundations of the European energy policy”. MEPS meeting in plenary in Strasbourg observed a one-minute silence as a tribute to Ms de Palacio. (hb)