COMMISSION ENERGY PACKAGE SHOULD BE WELCOMED (Fiona Hall MEP)

Fiona Hall MEP <info@fionahall.org.uk>

COMMISSION ENERGY PACKAGE SHOULD BE WELCOMED

January 9, 2007 12:00 AM

Commenting ahead of the adoption of the Commission's Energy Package Fiona Hall MEP, Liberal Democrat Energy Spokesperson, said:

"If press reports are accurate, there is much to welcome in this package. The Commission is clear about the scale of the change required in energy policy, and that energy efficiency is the most significant element.

"There is fresh vision here that goes beyond the borders of Europe, including commitment to an Africa-Europe energy dialogue with support for clean localised electricity for rural Africa.

"But the devil will be in the detail and it is not yet clear whether the concrete steps will live up to the overall principles.

"On electricity and gas liberalisation, the Commission needs to face down French and German opposition and commit to full ownership unbundling if the European energy market is to function in a fully-integrated way.

"On targets for renewables, there will need to be binding member state targets which are more precise than the overall target of 20% renewables by 2020. Some sector-specific targets are needed beyond the 10% by 2020 target for biofuels.

"The Commission is proposing a strong energy policy but MEPs and Member State Governments must make sure there is the bottle to implement it."