UK's EU presidency starts: focus on internal energy market

UK's EU presidency starts: focus on internal energy market

Brussels (Platts)--1Jul2005


Consolidating the European Union's internal energy market is one of the top
energy priorities of the UK, which took over the six-month rotating presidency
of the EU Council of member state governments Friday. The UK is to preside
over the EU energy council on Dec 1, 2005, at which energy ministers are to
discuss two key reports from the European Commission. 

One is a progress report on the EC's competition probe into the EU gas and
power markets, the other is the EC's report on how the EU gas and market
opening laws are being implemented. Both reports have the potential to show up
flaws or gaps in the internal energy market which the EU institutions--the EC,
the Council and the European Parliament--would then have to address. EU energy
commissioner Andris Piebalgs wants the reports to be widely discussed and
plans to wait until end-2006 before deciding on whether any more laws are
needed. He told an industry seminar last month that he would not hesitate to
table more laws--but only if they really were needed.

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