Press Release: Loyola de Palacio sets out the conditions for successful gas and electricity liberalisation

In a speech made on 29.1.01, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Energy and Transport, set out the key conditions for a full opening of the gas and electricity markets to all consumers by 2005. According to Loyola de Palacio, there are four prerequisites to make this new step a success: a clear and open access to the networks, a set of trading rules, an improvement of infrastructure capacity and the respect of social and environmental objectives. In the weeks ahead, Loyola de Palacio will submit to the Commission new proposals for directives on the gas and electricity markets, in order to accelerate and deepen the process of liberalisation. According to these proposals, the market will be fully opened to all consumers by 2005, with all non-domestic consumers being open to competition in 2003 for electricity and 2004 for gas.