Brussels, 15/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - During an informal dinner organised on the eve of the European Council on 15/16 October in Brussels, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, European Commissioner for energy, Andris Piebalgs and the Heads of state from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, as well as foreign ministers from these countries, discussed Commission support for efforts made by EU countries in the Baltic sea region to guarantee their security. The different parties agreed on setting up a Baltic Interconnection Plan, the details of which will be negotiated next year with its effective implementation in 2010. Commission spokesperson, Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen explained to the press that, “the idea there is to have coordinated action in a global plan on project which will involve all the countries near the Baltic sea for the development of electricity interconnection, gas diversification routes and sources and to develop new power generation capacities”. The Commission will therefore set up a senior level group on the Baltic energy market before the European Council of 8 December in order to examine the modalities of the future Baltic Interconnection Plan. Ms Ahrenkilde-Hansen added that, “one of the priorities of the Commission in the framework of the strategic energy review (which will be published on 4 November: Ed) is to connect energy islands to the EU energy market”. A press release from the Lithuanian government confirms the green light given by Heads of government and countries in the Baltic region for preparing such a plan and its supervision by the European Commission. According to Lithuanian prime minister, Gediminas Kirkilas, ““the drafting and implementation of the electricity link plan would make the entire European Union responsible for the electricity links between Lithuania and Poland (PowerBridge: Ed), as well as between Lithuania and Sweden, and it would foster the implementation of projects and assist in funding them”. He did, however, insist that the 2010-12 period is “critical” and that, “there are no short-term measures which would help solve the problems of Lithuania's energy security”. The country is threatened by the closing down of the Ignalina nuclear plant planned for 31 December 2009. Kirkilas therefore reaffirmed Vilnius' position of seeking to postpone the closure date. This position is noted in the European Council's conclusions. (E.H./trans/rh)