New EU energy commissioner candidate toes the EC line
Brussels (Platts)--16Nov2004
The new European Union energy commissioner candidate, Latvian Andris Piebalgs, followed the official European Commission line under questioning from European parliamentarians late Monday. "Everybody in Europe would like to see more efficient energy use, more renewables and more and stable energy supply," Piebalgs told the EP's energy committee. His priorities, if confirmed as commissioner, would be to strengthen the links between energy and the environment and research, to ensure the internal gas and electricity market works well, reduce energy demand, promote energy efficiency, renewables and nuclear safety and develop relations with oil and gas producing countries. The new EU constitution--yet to be ratified--would help to integrate energy policy, he said, and the EC's 2002 green paper on security of supply was a good basis for future policy. On the internal market, Piebalgs said his priority was to ensure that the second gas and power market opening directives, which took effect on Jul 1 this year, were implemented correctly before taking any new measures. The EC is planning a report on the state of the internal market at the end of next year which would include political proposals, he said. The energy committee is to forward its evaluation of Piebalgs to the parliament's political leaders Tuesday. The EP is to vote on EC President-elect Jose Manuel Barroso's new team as a whole on Thursday. Earlier Monday, Piebalgs told reporters that his appointment had been "some kind of compromise," but that after a week of studies he was sure he could manage the role. The original EU energy commissioner candidate, Hungarian Laszlo Kovacs, failed to impress the energy committee and Barroso moved him to the tax portfolio.
Copyright © 2004 - Platts
Please visit: www.platts.com
Their coverage of energy matters is extensive!!.