Brussels, 10/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - Set up at the request of the European Council of December 2006 and at the joint initiative of the Commission and High Representative Javier Solana (document on external aspects of energy policy, May 2006, EUROPE 9202), the new EU Network of Energy Security Correspondents (NESCO) was born on Thursday 10 May with its first meeting, under the guidance of External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, accompanied by her colleague for energy policy, Andris Piebalgs. The aim of this first meeting was to define a clear mandate for NESCO, its terms of reference, its communication system and its scope.
The network, which consists of representatives of the European Commission, Council Secretariat and EU member states, is a flexible system in bureaucratic terms without additional cost and without duplication with existing structures. It aims to give the Union collective ability to supervise energy supply security and to use this surveillance function as an early warning system so that the EU27 receive information and analyses in time to allow them to take decisions and develop a course of action to counter specific threats. Its added value lies in the pooling of information (of a technical, geopolitical and market-oriented kind) to allow the EU27 to conduct coordinated external action. NESCO will thus be able to ensure global surveillance of the external aspects of energy supply security, make common assessments of factors that have an impact on supply security, and play an effective early warning role to pre-empt energy supply failures, whenever and wherever these may occur. Although it will only have an informal role in the development of policies, decision-making or operational follow-up, NESCO must contribute to strengthening cooperation between energy players.
NESCO will ensure continuous monitoring and exchange of information via a secure Internet portal. Information collected and processed will cover energy supply security aspects in third countries (including data linked to the upkeep and development of infrastructures) as well as important information of a regulatory, political and market kind that can have an impact on the Union's energy supply. All primary and secondary energy sources will be covered and all information relating to internal energy aspects will be made available to NESCO that will therefore use information from various sources: the member states and the Commission coordinating input from their network of 130 delegations in third countries, the EU Joint Situation Centre within the Council Secretariat, the IEA and IAEA, etc. NESCO will also use existing structures managed by the Commission or the Council Secretariat such as the Gas Coordination Group or Oil Supply Group.
Correspondents come from the member states (one representative from the Foreign Ministry and one from the Energy Ministry per member state), the Council Secretariat and Commission (DG Relex and DG Tren). Established within the Commission services and in collaboration with the Council Secretariat, the focal point will coordinate the work carried out by the network. With the help of the DG Relex crisis unit and the EU Joint Situation Centre, it will assess information gathered in order to ensure their reliability. The suitability and/or coverage of an assessment based on information received will be examined within the network. When a more detailed assessment is deemed necessary, a request aimed at obtaining further data will be launched by the network. The assessment will be made by making the best possible use of the specialised competences available among NESCO members. Through this focal point, the network should attract the attention of relevant services on assessments that could require operational follow-up and ensure early warning for specific situations that the Union has to face up to. Thus, in addition to an annual meeting to examine the overall situation and its correct functioning, NESCO will meet when the focal point is convened at the request of a member of the network and will be co-chaired by the Commission and the Presidency of the Council. (eh).