Brussels, 17/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - In plenary on Thursday 17 September in Strasbourg, following a declaration by European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs on energy security, the European Parliament adopted a common resolution from the EPP, S&D, ALDE and ECR Groups on the external aspects of energy security. Piebalg's declaration had highlighted two flagship projects for diversifying EU energy supply sources and routes - the Nabucco project that is to link the countries of Central Asia and the Caspian Sea with the EU via Turkey, and the Desertec solar power network project in the Sahara (see EUROPE 9941, 9942 and 9978 for Nabucco and EUROPE 9944 for Desertec). Although they welcome the priority given to energy infrastructure projects such as Nabucco and Desertec, MEPs did not fail to point out that there are also other ways to strengthen energy supply security. They pointed out the need to use more renewable energies and to step up cooperation with third countries in this field, but above all to intensify energy efficiency. In the run up to the European Council in October, which will be working on this issue, the Parliament, which was disappointed at the ineffectiveness of certain EU instruments during the Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis in January, has clearly stepped up its demands regarding energy security. In its resolution, the Parliament calls on the European Commission, the Council and member states to play a greater strategic role together for implementing a Common European foreign policy on energy security. Although its welcomes the action plan on energy security and solidarity, put on the table at the end of last year by the Commission (EUROPE 9782), Parliament believes it necessary to define clear priorities for immediately implementing the proposed measures. It also underlines the “crucial importance” of an effectively functioning internal market, diversification of energy sources, increased use of renewables and low carbon energies (nuclear is no explicitly mentioned: Ed) and increased energy efficiency for preventing future gas crises and cuts in gas supplies. Parliament welcomes the new proposals in the regulation, one on the security of gas supply and the other on the transparency of investment projects in EU energy infrastructure (EUROPE 9944). Parliament is, nonetheless, calling on the Commission to “urgently review” the current early warning mechanisms Network of Energy Security Correspondents (NESCO) and other instruments that it said proved inefficient during the Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis in January. Parliament is also calling on member states to develop their natural gas stocks with rapid flow capacity.
Parliament, believing it is essential to improve interconnections in Europe, welcomes the agreement on funding energy infrastructure projects within the European economic recovery plan (see EUROPE 9937). It stresses, nonetheless, the need for Europe to have a new Supergrid for gas and electricity and calls for an increase in public and private funding in the area of energy security. It also highlights the urgency with which strategic projects to diversify energy supply, in particular the Southern Corridor, should be implemented and, in this context, welcomes the signing in July of the intergovernmental agreement on the legal framework for the Nabucco project which, it says, must be properly funded. It also believes it important to have general rules on the development of the Southern Corridor with a view to linking the EU to new gas sources in the Middle East and the Caspian, without the EU having to depend on any particular company or gas pipeline. Of course, the energy companies and member states involved, working with the Commission, are asked to make agreements with potential providers to supply their pipelines.
More generally, Parliament calls for in-depth energy dialogues between the EU and its biggest energy supplies, putting the emphasis on non-discriminatory market access and transparency, and also on the need for these dialogues, especially with Russia, to be “frank” and seeking to achieve results on human, rights. Parliament also calls for a common EU approach on rules and transit costs in negotiations with third countries, and for there to be an obligation to share information among member states on every decision or strategic decision relating to energy infrastructure projects. It also demands immediate reaction from the EU in the event of hostile action from foreign entities with little transparency seeking to acquire shares on the European energy market and monitoring of the strict application of EU competition rules.
Parliament stresses the need for the EU to work closely with North Sea countries given their wind power potential, and with those of the Mediterranean and North Africa in light of their wind and solar power potential. The strategic importance of the Arctic region is also stressed.
Lastly, Parliament calls on the EU and member states to take steps to include in the Lisbon Treaty a binding, progressive and comprehensive basis for a Common European policy on energy security. (E.H./transl.jl/rh/rt)