European Union’s energy
ministers acknowledged on February 27 the importance of the Commission’s
extensive legislative package “Clean Energy for all Europeans” and underlined
the need to make progress on all proposals.
“However, they also
stressed that the implications of these issues for member states and the
responsibility of the co-legislators calls for the proposals to be examined in
detail,” the European Council said in a press release.
The package focuses on
putting energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable
energies and providing a fair deal for consumers. It includes proposals on
electricity market design, energy efficiency, security of supply, renewables
and governance rules aimed at implementing the Energy Union strategy. The
overall aim of the strategy is to transform the EU into a low carbon economy by
2030.
At their meeting on
February 27, the energy ministers also heard the European Commission’s
presentation of its recent report on the State of the Energy Union. Ministers
welcomed the report’s conclusion that the European Union has already achieved
considerable reductions in energy consumption and that the EU is on track to
reach its 2020 energy efficiency target. At the same time they recognized that
member states’ efforts must continue, the Council said.
Maltese Minister
Konrad
Mizzi said his country’s EU Presidency is “well aware of the strategic
importance of the Energy Union and of the benefits it will bring to our economy
and our citizens. We are fully committed to make progress on the Clean Energy
package through effective dialogue”.
The EU energy ministers
were also briefed by the Presidency on progress on two important legislative
proposals on which negotiations with the European Parliament have already
started: the regulations on security of gas supply and on energy efficiency labelling.
The Presidency intends to reach to reach a political agreement with the
European Parliament on both files this semester.
Several ministers asked the
Commission for clarifications on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, also in the
follow-up to the letter sent by the Chair of the Parliament’s Committee on
Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) to the Chair of the European Energy
Council on this issue.
Mizzi said Malta’s
Presidency is speeding-up its work on the Gas Security of Supply legislation,
which will ensure gas availability for all member states, as well as energy
efficiency labelling legislation, which will enable consumers to make informed
choices when buying products.
The Council also said that
ministers were also updated on the Ocean Energy Forum.
During a working lunch
ministers discussed Energy Union governance, given its close links to all the
other Clean Energy proposals.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/eu-energy-ministers-back-clean-energy-package/