Brussels, 17/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - At the latest trialogue on this issue, on Thursday 16 April, representatives of the European Parliament and the Czech Presidency of the Council reached an informal political agreement on the energy chapter of the European recovery plan, which will see the injection of €5 billion of Community funding into the EU economy in 2009 and 2010, part to finance energy projects and part to develop broadband internet in rural areas. The compromise reached gives hope that there will be first reading approval for a matter, seen as urgent by the European Commission but which has been treading water since December 2008. The agreement says that, if the €3.98 billion allocated to three types of energy projects (electrical and gas interconnections, offshore wind farms and carbon capture and storage) have not been fully used up by the end of 2010, they will be made available for use in other projects, in particular, Smart City projects, improving energy efficiency and developing renewables. The Commission, which will monitor the implementation of the programme, will be required to report regularly, in parallel with its budget proposal for the following year, on the use being made of the funds. The informal agreement also states that if, by March 2010, the Commission identifies serious possibilities that some projects will not be realised, it should propose others. The Commission will also, before the vote by Parliament, have to announce further measures to support energy efficiency and renewable energy, such as the review of the energy efficiency action plan before the end of October 2009 and a public-private partnership on energy efficient buildings. In adopting the report by Eugenijus Maldeikis (UEN, Lithuania) on 31 March, the Parliament's energy committee called for unused funds to be invested in interconnection projects, offshore wind farms and carbon capture and storage in energy efficiency projects, such as Smart City (see EUROPE 9873). The Czech Presidency proposed to return unspent money to member states at the end of 2010. The informal agreement now has to be approved by the political groups in the Parliament and member states' ambassadors to the EU (COREPER) before it is put to the vote in the plenary session of 4-7 May, then confirmed by the Council. Approval by the Parliament and the Council would bring an end to several months of hesitation which have done nothing to help efforts to appear united and determined in the face of the world crisis. (E.H./transl.rt)