25/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a statement published on Friday 25 July 2008, EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs welcomed the decision by Vattenfall Europe AG, a German subsidiary of the Swedish company of the same name, to sell its high tension electricity grid in Germany, noting: "I am convinced that selling the transmission network will benefit both consumers and electricity companies with more competition and freedom of choice.' Against a charged political backdrop, the decision by Germany's fourth biggest energy company meets the European Commission's calls for unbundling of electricity generation and the ownership of transmission grids. Vattenfall's chair, Tuomo Hattaka, says in a press release that it is the 'best solution'. (A.B. /transl. fl)