Berlin, 11/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the German minister for the economy and technologies stated that the European Union needed greater supply autonomy and diversification of sources in its energy portfolio. Michael Glos was pleased that the “energy package” presented on the same day by the Commission clearly questioned whether reaching the objectives would be possible without nuclear power. Glos informed journalists that if less carbon dioxide emitting energies were needed, economic adjustment conditions had to be reasonable. Climate protection policy will be “credible” and likely to convince other countries of giving their support to it “if they see that the objectives can be reached without relocating outside Europe”. Glos insisted that these objectives had a price, “We are in favour of a broad energy portfolio to help us make greater use of renewable energies” but explained that, “to be able to pay for that and ensure that the competitiveness of our industry does not suffer”. He pointed out that, “it is absolutely impossible to respect the Kyoto Protocol without using nuclear energy”. This view is not shared by all members of the broad coalition in Germany. Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat government has not developed a uniform position and is leaving the question without an answer in the CDU-CSU and SPD coalition, which does not rule out getting rid of nuclear power. Glos said that there is a change in the mentality of voters, while the Commission remained “agnostic” on the nuclear questions, according to the term used by Commission president José-Manuel Barroso (EUROPE 9341). (ab)