Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-21-Speech-2-099"
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"en.20081021.7.2-099"2
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"Madam President, Mr Jouyet, the European Council devoted part of its conclusions to energy security, but this issue has passed under the radar, and has been overlooked in the debates. It is now more important than ever. I support the Council’s conclusions, but the devil is in the detail, and it is precisely those details, and specifics, that are lacking. I should like to raise two of them.
Firstly, there is the key issue of the EU’s relations with the producer and transit countries. The idea of stepping up our energy diplomacy is fully justified, but what is always missing is the will, on the part of the Member States, to agree on the message we send to third countries and the consistency of our policies at national level in relation to the common interest of the Union. In short, we lack a common foreign and energy security policy. The lowest common denominator, namely the coordination of our positions towards our suppliers and transit countries, is a long way from being achieved and applied. Thus, instead of speaking with one voice, the policy in force is ‘every man for himself’, as illustrated by a series of bilateral agreements that weaken our negotiating position and tarnish the image of our unity towards the outside.
The second problem is the absence of European projects. There is no mention of oil and gas pipeline projects, which are vital if we are to guarantee our energy security, and the fate of Nabucco now seems uncertain, despite it being referred to as a high-priority project.
We also need to learn the lessons of the Georgian crisis with regard to energy security, by establishing an effective system to protect existing infrastructure in transit countries during periods of war or political instability.
In conclusion, I recall the Council’s watchwords: responsibility and solidarity. It now remains for us to take more action, otherwise there is a risk that European external policy on energy security will never get off the page."@en1
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