Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-07-08-Speech-2-310"
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"en.20080708.35.2-310"2
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"Mr President, I am very pleased to be here again today to discuss the second part of the internal energy market package, namely gas.
All these arguments underline the importance of measures on which we will take up a position today. I am glad to say that they support most of your amendments.
We need effective independence of system operators to ensure investments and optimal network use.
For the Commission, ownership unbundling is the most efficient way to achieve this independence. But not everybody agrees and, as you know, the Council has reached agreement on the independent transmission operator option. I believe that an alternative to just ownership unbundling should be given a chance, just as Europe was built using a step-by-step approach.
You have asked for a stronger Agency. I agree with you on the principle, but we need to stay within the boundaries of the Treaty. We are bound by the Treaty and so-called Meroni jurisprudence of the Court of Justice. In particular, we need comitology to make codes binding. The Agency can then control the procedure and the implementation. A strong Agency is not in conflict with comitology. On the contrary, the Agency needs guidelines to frame its powers so that it can take individual binding decisions on market players.
Access to storage and LNG is as important as access to the networks. We welcome your efforts to improve access to storage in the directive. To make sure that these access rules are effective, we need legal unbundling of the storage operators.
Transparency is also the key part of our proposals that you have underlined in the previous votes. Transparency should be the rule and confidentiality the exception, not only for network use but also for balancing, storage and LNG.
I am pleased to see that many of the horizontal concerns, as regards the protection of vulnerable customers and the fight against energy poverty, have also been taken up in the gas report. These elements are essential in the implementation of market opening and should be strengthened. The Commission will look carefully at the wording in order to respect the principle of subsidiarity. It is important to confirm again that our policy should not prevent proper investment signals and market entry.
I think the Council has clearly indicated its wish to try to find a solution at second reading. I can assure you that the Commission will play a very constructive role in finding the solution that is beneficial for all EU citizens and developing our strength, which is the internal energy market.
On the second report, I would like to congratulate Mr Buzek for his excellent report and express my appreciation for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy’s support for the strategic energy technology (SET) plan initiative.
It seems that I have already overstepped my time limit. We have worked very closely with my colleague Janez Potočnik and so I will join in his views on this very important proposal, not just because I very much appreciate what Mr Buzek has done but because we really worked together in the Commission to move this dossier ahead.
Last month this House discussed electricity and the Agency. Many amendments are very similar for gas and I will not go into all the points which were raised when we discussed electricity.
Let me first of all congratulate the rapporteurs, Mr La Russa and Mr Paparizov, on their excellent reports, as well as the shadow rapporteurs and all the members of the committees involved. You have managed to maintain a high-quality debate, taking into account very short deadlines for rather complicated legislation.
Let me explain why gas market liberalisation is as essential as electricity market liberalisation for a competitive, sustainable and secure energy supply in the European Union. I will also stress that they require the same legislative measures.
Gas is one of the main energy sources in the EU for both industry and households. Energy prices are spiking: now, more than ever, EU consumers need a competitive gas market so that they pay only the cost for efficient supply.
Moreover, the electricity market will not function properly if the gas market does not function properly. I would like to quote the International Energy Agency: ‘In many regions, gas-fired plant sets the price of electricity a significant proportion of the time. Expensive gas therefore means expensive electricity. ... Policymakers must appreciate the growing intertwining of gas and electricity industries, and design markets and regulatory systems accordingly.’
This is even more the case at a time when we need more renewable energy. As the wind and sun do not always function as we would wish, electricity production is difficult to predict. It needs the back-up of a source for electricity production that is predictable and very flexible, and this is gas.
Gas is also the cleanest of all fossil fuels. If we want to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, it is one of the very efficient ways, but we need to make sure that our gas supply is competitive.
Security of supply is also important. The best way to guarantee a secure gas supply to the EU is by having one internal market for 500 million consumers. The EU is loud and clear if it speaks with one voice. It is very incomprehensible if 27 voices speak at the same time. In a common market we need to work together because we have one common interest."@en1
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