European Union News - Energy

The Official Journal of the European Union has published last 18th July the Commission Decision of 11 July 2008 amending Decision No 2007/60/EC as regards the modification of the tasks and the period of operation of the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency.

The technical and financial evaluation of proposals of Marco Polo call for proposal has finished with 31 projects.

0.9 million euro from the “EuropeAid” for a technical assistance to the EC's Delegations for the monitoring of the Energy Facility's projects.

In a meeting of the Ecodesign Regulatory Committee held July 7th, EU Member States endorsed the Commission's proposal for a regulation reducing standby energy consumption of household and office products. The regulation lays down energy efficiency requirements for all products sold in Europe, thus cutting the EU's standby electricity consumption by almost 75% by 2020.

On July 4th the Commission published a Call for expression of interest for the establishment of a list of prospective individual experts to provide expertise to ‘Fusion for Energy’. The list is drawn up for a five year period from the date of publication of this call, and applications may be submitted at any time, up to the last three months of validity of the list.

On the 27th June 2008, Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Energy, hailed the agreement between Mr Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain, and Mr Fillon, Prime Minister of France, to complete the electricity connection between France and Spain as soon as possible thanks to decisive action on the part of Mario Monti, the European Coordinator.

The first meeting of the Steering Group on the implementation of the Strategic Energy Technologies Plan (SET Plan) held on the 26th June 2008, will set the agenda for an EU energy technology policy. It will enhance the coordination of national and European research and innovation efforts to position the EU in the forefront of the low-carbon technologies markets. The first meeting of the Steering Group on the implementation of the Strategic Energy Technologies Plan (SET Plan) today will set the agenda for an EU energy technology policy. It will enhance the coordination of national and European research and innovation efforts to position the EU in the forefront of the low-carbon technologies markets.

The fifth ministerial-level meeting of the Energy Dialogue between the European Union (EU) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) took place in Brussels, on the 24th June 2008.

"You would like to see your commitment and efforts in sustainable energy recognized at European level and have a chance of being rewarded during a prestigious ceremony in the presence of high-ranking EC’s Officials? Join the Sustainable Energy Europe Award Competition now and become an ambassador of European excellence in sustainable energy!" This was the message sent out by the European Commission DG for Transport and Energy promoting its new SEE Awards Competition.

MEPs adopted a report on "Towards a European Charter on the Rights of Energy Consumers" which underlines the potential added value of the Charter as an information tool collecting, consolidating the energy rights of consumers as already adopted in the existing EU legislation. MEPs call on Member States to invest as a priority in energy efficiency measures for low-income households, thereby addressing in a strategic manner both the problem of fuel poverty and the "20% by 2020" energy efficiency.

The European Commission has agreed in principle on the contents of an emergency package of measures to tackle the immediate social and economic hardship triggered by the dramatic rise in the price of oil while also tackling the underlying structural problems of the European fleet. The main measures will consist of temporary derogations to the rules of the European Fisheries Fund so as to support faster adaptation of the EU fleet to the present situation and provide temporary relief during the transitional phase. European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Joe Borg will present the elements of this package at the Council of Fisheries Ministers in Luxembourg on 24 June, and the Commission plans to adopt a formal proposal on this subject early in July.