Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-04-03-Speech-1-097"
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"en.20060403.10.1-097"2
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".
Mr President, quite recently we had the opportunity to discuss the issues related to the Green Paper on common energy policy. I believe that the issues we are debating today – security of supply, environmental sustainability and competitiveness – are very closely related, and Europe needs a European answer. We also need to look at how to mobilise investments in Europe. The trans-European networks are part of that.
I should like to thank once again all those involved in finding this compromise.
Sometimes it is said that there are not enough funds for that, but I recently had the opportunity to be proud of a project we are supporting: the future electricity interconnector between Ireland and Wales. This clearly shows how European funds are being used. There are many such projects of which we can be proud; the feasibility studies we financed paved the way for that interconnector and that infrastructure. From that point of view, I very much appreciate the work done by the rapporteur, the shadow rapporteurs and everybody who has helped to develop this particular decision.
I really believe that trans-European energy networks will provide for enhanced development of the European Union. As regards natural gas, for example, there is an increasing dependency on gas imports; we know that will continue. The Trans-European Energy Network Policy aims to secure and diversify additional gas import capacity from sources such as the Caspian basin region, northern Africa or the Middle East.
We have often debated in Brussels about the need to develop the European electricity market further. Again, for the electricity market, the trans-European energy networks will provide for the creation and fostering of real European interconnections and a European grid.
We should not only look for money from our taxpayers; we must also attract money for those projects from the European Investment Bank, the structural funds and private investors, because there is money available for investment. Thus far, the real bottleneck is a lack of political will to build those projects or a lack of ability to take appropriate decisions.
The decision was already proposed to Parliament in December 2003. At that time, it looked at the new challenges created through enlargement as well as at the essential energy connections with third countries.
As to the choice of projects, the Commission identified the projects of highest priority from among the larger family of projects of common interest. Now, thanks to the negotiations between the three institutions, we have a compromise that seems – at least at this stage –acceptable to us all. The projects of highest priority, a very selective list of projects of European interest, have the objective of supporting the rapid implementation of the largest possible cross-border interconnection capacity. To achieve that aim, the projects of European interest need to comply with specific criteria. They must be of cross-border nature or have a significant impact on cross-border transmission capacity, and they must be mature.
One important result achieved between the first and second reading is the European Coordinator, whose role is considered essential as he or she will encourage cooperation with users and operators and promote the projects amongst private investors and financial institutions. As a member of the European Commission group on trans-European networks, I have seen the good work the current European coordinators have done for transport infrastructures, because they really work to promote them, to find and identify the bottlenecks and try to find solutions.
I note with satisfaction that the main elements of the Commission proposal have been retained in the package deal you are to vote on tomorrow. I can thus fully support the agreement reached."@en1
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