Energy Headlines

July 7, 2016

Joint gas buying on EU leaders' summit agenda

EU leaders will discuss how best to strengthen the bloc’s bargaining power, including the collective buying of gas, when they debate the European Commission communication on Energy Union.

Energy efficiency is not on the draft agenda for the 19-20 March meeting in Brussels, despite the Energy Union’s demand that countries give it “primary consideration”. Renewable energy is mentioned, but only in the context of cutting “market-distorting” public support schemes.

A European Council document sent to member states, and seen by EurActiv, sets out the broad subjects the national leaders will cover.

Energy Union has five “dimensions”: Energy security, internal energy market, energy efficiency, climate and research and innovation. Although all five are important, the paper said. The European Council will focus on security, the internal energy market and climate diplomacy.

The summit will be dominated by the Energy Union, which was launched last week. The Energy Union is the EU’s response to its dependence on Russian gas, which was brutally exposed by the Ukraine crisis and when Russia turned off the taps in 2009, causing shortages in the EU. It has since developed beyond questions of just security of supply to encompass issues such as fighting climate change.

EU leaders are also expected to discuss the implementation of the Minsk Agreement between Ukraine and Russia. The ceasefire was struck on the same day as the last summit in February but fighting continued.

EurActiv


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