Brussels, 14/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - Speaking to press on Thursday after the European Commission seminar (see related article), Commission President José Manuel Barroso confirmed that on 19 September he would, as part of his proposals on the 3rd legislative package, suggest putting in place a mechanism to control the access of foreign capital to the European energy sector (see EUROPE 9498). “We accept and welcome investment from third countries which don't have the same rules that we have. We believe that, in the energy sector, we should be open, but we should not be naïve. We want to have a mechanism which, if needed, can be activated to protect the internal market from foreign designs whose motives are not purely commercial,” Barroso said, referring to objectives, such as “influence”, which could compromise the stability of the host country. “It will be interesting to see if the member states are prepared to adopt such a mechanism to defend the internal market and competition principles when necessary,” he went on. He also said that the Commission was still working on the definition of the factors which could activate such a mechanism and on the definitions of non-commercial conduct. “Of course, we are not closing our market. Our approach is not a protectionist one, but an offensive idea,” he stressed. While highlighting that this mechanism could be directed against all third countries, Barroso indirectly confirmed that it could apply to some proposed Russian investments. “I find it strange that a Russian public company can buy network industries in Europe and that European companies have not the same right there,” he said, in a scarcely concealed allusion to the hold that the state gas and oil monopoly Gazprom has on the Russian market. (eh)