Brussels, 06/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The 11 'independent' experts on the Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change set up by Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, met in Brussels for the first time on Tuesday to consider the EU's new energy policy and how it impacts on policy to combat climate change. The group will also consider implications for the EU's industrial and social policies. The Advisory Group will provide the European Commission with scientific and technical advice independently of DG Energy and DG Environment. The panel's members are: César Dopazo; Nicolas Hulot; Claudia Kemfert; Allan Larsson; Claude Mandil; Carlo Rubbia; Hans Joachim Schellnhuber; Viriato Soromenho-Marques; Sir Nicholas Stern; Peter Sutherland; and Michael Zammit Cutajar. (eh)