| Author (Person) | Thomson, Ian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 17.3.01 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 19/03/2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The European Commission proposed on the 13 March 2001 a set of new measures to open up the gas and electricity energy markets fully by 2005 for the benefit of European consumers, and to provide an effective, secure, competitive and integrated European energy market. These measures include:
Background For background information on the EU's energy policy see the European Sources Online: Topic Guide: Energy Policy The current phase of EU action in the area of the energy began with the issuing in 1995 of a Green Paper 'For a European Union energy policy' (COM (1994)659 final) and, subsequently, a White Paper 'An energy policy for the European Union' (COM (1995)682 final). The White paper laid down guidelines for energy policy over the coming years. The three pillars and strategic objectives of the European Union's energy policy in the future were established as:
This policy was to be implemented mainly by means of integration of the market, management of external dependency, promotion of sustainable development and support of energy research and technology. In respect of the integration of the market the primary goal has been to liberalise the internal market for electricity and natural gas. Legislation has been adopted for both these sectors:
which envisages a series of measures to provide for a fully liberalised and competitive market for these two sectors by 2008. The European Commission's Directorate General for Energy and Transport maintains websites providing substantial information on the implementation of the legislation to liberalise the electricity and gas markets. While progress has been made to open up the market in both these energy sectors to competition, some argue that progress has been slow and uneven. France has been cited as a notable laggard in opening up its energy market, while progress towards liberalisation in other Member States has at times caused tensions between national governments, existing monopoly suppliers and new entrants. Detailed comments can be found in the hyperlinks listed below. The special European Council held in Lisbon in March 2000 adopted a set of conclusions to ensure that the EU should within the next ten years 'become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion'. While the key emphasis of the strategy involved actions to promote the Information Society, there were also a series of recommendations to ensure a 'complete and fully operational internal market'. The European Commission, Council of the European Union, and the Member States were asked to do all they could to ensure the speeding up of liberalisation in areas such as gas, electricity, postal services and transport. The European Council would assess progress in this field at the European Council, Stockholm, 23-24 March 2001. In May 2000 the European Commission issued a Communication 'Recent progress with building the internal electricity market' ( COM (2000)297 final). Whilst acknowledging progress, the Commission argued that two issues needed to be re-examined:
The Commission concluded that the opening of the market provided for in the laws implementing the Directive were not enough to create a true single market in practice. In particular, the objective should be a truly integrated pan-EU energy market rather than fifteen more or less liberalised markets. Reaction to this Communication by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union can be traced through PreLex. The latest report on liberalisation of the gas market is available in MEMO/00/52. In November 2000 the European Commission launched an overall debate on a future European energy strategy with a Green Paper on energy supply security ( COM (2000)769 final). A summary is available ( IP/00/1368). The progress of the Green Paper through the EU's policy process can be traced through PreLex. One of the questions asked in the Green Paper is:
It in this context that the European Commission introduced its Communication and set of proposals 'Completing the internal energy market' on the 13 March 2001. Communication: Completing the internal energy market The Communication from the European Commission says that the conditions are right for a further significant step in the market opening process, leading to the rapid completion of the internal markets in electricity and gas. Thus, the Commission proposes amendments to the existing Directives governing the internal market in electricity and gas to speed up the process so that by 2005 all consumers (both domestic and industrial) will have choice to choose their suppliers. The Commission also proposes that the management of the gas and electricity transmission grids should be legally separate from production and sales activities, and that they operate entirely independently. Network access tariffs should be set, published and approved by national regulators before entering into force. Each Member State should have a regulator, who should be independent of Member State administrations. In addition, the Commisison proposes additional measures regarding security of supply and public service and a range of initiatives to encourage the establishment of a genuine pan-EU market in gas and electricity. These include:
The text of the Communication 'Completing the internal energy market' is available (please note at the time of compilation of this In Focus the text was headed 'unofficial version'). To trace the confirmed version and follow the progress of the Communication in the EU's policy making progress insert title in the 'words from the title' field or insert COM (2001) 125 in the relevant fields of PreLex . The texts of two related proposals for Directives are also available
EU Institutions
International Organisations
National Organisations
Non-governmental Organisations
News Organisations
Further and subsequent information on the subject of this In Focus can be found by an 'Advanced Search' in European Sources Online by inserting 'energy liberalisation in the EU', 'gas liberalisation', 'electricity liberalisation' etc in the keyword field.
Ian Thomson The European Commission proposed on the 13 March 2001 a set of new measures to open up the gas and electricity energy markets fully by 2005 for the benefit of European consumers. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject Categories | Energy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
