Brussels, 05/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 26 October, European Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs approved the working programme of the Italian Mario Monti, who was appointed in the autumn to coordinate the controversial electricity interconnection project between France and Spain via the Pyrenees. Presenting his programme to the press, Mr Monti stated that he would do all in his power to “bring the positions closer together” on this dossier, but promised no overnight solutions. “The situation is highly complex”, he acknowledged. His principal objective is to propose solutions which will both respond to the need to break the energy isolation of the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe and satisfy all parties at national, regional and local level, by creating an extremely-high tension line across the Pyrenees, a plan which has given rise to vociferous opposition from residents on either side of the border, and from ecologists. “The Pyrenees is a highly sensitive area from the point of view of the environment, an asset which must be preserved at all costs”, Mr Monti acknowledged, promising to analyse all possible routes for the line, with the burying of the line an option which will be looked into very closely. The former European commissioner will meet all the parties concerned (national, regional and local authorities, transport network managers and environmental protection groups) on 20-21 November, and will table an interim report on this interconnection project, which was acknowledged as a priority by the European Council of Essen in 1994, by the end of the year. (E.H.)