Brussels, 13/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - By approving the report by Claude Turmes (Greens, Luxembourg) by a large majority - 619 votes for, 18 against, with 14 abstentions - on Wednesday 12 March in Strasbourg, the European Parliament validated in a first reading, the compromise it informally reached with the Council on the draft regulation on energy statistics proposed by the European Commission in January 2007 (first “energy and climate package”, EUROPE 9341). The EP has therefore opened the way forward to the Council adopting it soon. Although the energy statistics have so far focused on energy supply and fossil fuels, they will from now on concentrate more on knowledge and increased monitoring of final energy consumption, as well as renewable and nuclear energy. This new regulation means: greater transparency and more rapid diffusion of reliable data; nuclear energy will be an integral part of Eurostat statistics; data on renewable energies will be improved; data on final energy consumption will be elaborated with gradual integration from 2012; energy scenarios will be in the public domain. The adopted text also explains that in the area of energy efficiency, availability of detailed statistical data on habitat and transport will be of primary importance. To prevent delays in energy data publication, Eurostat will diffuse energy statistics every year by 31 January at the latest in the second year following the reference period. The EP will request that the derogation enjoyed by France concerning its declarations on heat aggregates comes to an end once Paris is able to send in this declaration, four years (at the latest) after the entry into force of the new regulation. (E.H.)