France warns on energy ‘unbundling’ plan

Report of an FT interview with François Loos, the French industry minister, February 2007. He said that European Commission proposals to separate energy production from distribution networks would harm Europe’s strategic energy interests. Instead, he is pressing other European Union countries to adopt the French regulatory system. In a reply Alistair Darling, the UK trade and industry secretary said that the UK rejected French proposals for the future of the European Union energy industries, warning that they would perpetuate distortions in the market and hamper competition.

European Commission: DG Competition: Sectors: Energy http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/sectors/energy/overview_en.html

Open Democracy: Europe's energy future: in the dark (Dieter Helm), January 2007 http://www.dieterhelm.co.uk/publications/Open_Democracy_EuropesEnergyFuture.pdf

European Commission: MEMO/07/55: Memo: Special Energy Council on 15 February http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/55&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Council of the European Union: Press Release, PRES/07/24: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, Brussels, 15.2.07 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/trans/92802.pdf

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