Brussels, 14/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the European Council of October, the Swedish Presidency has drawn up a report assessing the progress made in terms of energy infrastructure and interconnections, and crisis mechanisms. This document, which takes stock of the measures and initiatives taken in line with the orientations defined by the European Council of March 2009 with a view to improving the energy security of the EU (EUROPE 9866), was presented to the General Affairs/External Relations Council on Monday 14 September. Among the short-term measures, the Presidency listed: - the monitoring, by the gas coordination group, of the preparations of the member states and levels of supply in third countries; - measures taken domestically, such as an increase of gas stocks and national emergency intervention plans; - dialogue with Ukraine and the international financial institutions on the reform of the Ukrainian gas sector, the modernisation of its infrastructure and transit system, which led to an agreement at the end of July, granting Kiev assistance of 1.7 billion dollars; - the adoption by the Council in September of the directive forcing the member states to keep in place a minimum level of crude oil and/or oil product stocks, to make sure that by no later than 31 December 2012, the EU has a total level of oil stores corresponding to 90 days of average daily net imports, or 61 days of average internal daily consumption.
Among the medium and long-term measures, the Swedish Presidency listed the following: - the European relaunch plan, which provides for Community financial assistance of €3.98 billion in 2009 and 2010 for energy projects (electricity and gas infrastructure, offshore windfarms and carbon capture and storage), with the Commission's services due to conclude the project assessment by the end of September; - the launch of the Eastern Partnership in May; - diversification measures taken after the South Corridor summit last May, such as July's signature of the intergovernmental agreement on Nabucco and the signature of the protocol agreement between Bulgaria and Greece on the Italy-Turkey-Greece interconnector; - finalisation of a study on the Caspian Development Corporation, to facilitate access to the region's gas; - agreement on the Baltic interconnection plan, followed by a protocol agreement in July, ensuring its implementation; - the continuation of Ukraine's negotiations for accession to the Energy Community; - the draft regulation, submitted by the Commission in July, on the security of natural gas supply; - the implementation of Mediterranean solar plan; - various measures to improve the functioning of the internal energy market, stimulate energy efficiency and reduce energy dependence on external suppliers, such as directive 2009/28/EC "renewables", texts on the energy performance of buildings, the labelling of pneumatics and of energy products, and the implementation of the third legislative package for the liberalisation of the internal electricity and gas market. (E.H./transl.fl)