The EU Council of Energy Ministers met today in Brussels to discuss energy issues. They also held a public policy debate on the Commission communication on energy prices and costs in Europe.
As the Greek Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change Yiannis Maniatis, who chaired the meeting, stated: "We cannot enhance competitiveness with a more costly energy sector than other international competitors, with non economically efficient and unsustainable energy technologies, as well as with fragmented markets. This is why we need to further invest on research and technological development and on necessary energy infrastructure, including interconnections of isolated and island regions of the European Union. By strengthening the competitiveness of the European Industry through reducing energy costs, we will decisively contribute to our social cohesion, by maintaining the existing labour posts and fighting unemployment."
During the meeting, ministers stressed the importance of completing the internal energy market by 2014 and the need to further develop new energy infrastructure to secure the uninterrupted supply of energy throughout the EU at affordable prices. They also highlighted the need for households and industry to reduce their energy consumption by improving energy efficiency and energy savings and underlined the importance of creating a level playing field on the world energy market to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry.
The Council also held a public policy debate on a Commission communication for a 2030 framework for climate and energy policy from the energy policy perspective. Ministers stressed that future climate and energy policies should aim at balancing different objectives, such as sustainability and a shift towards a low-carbon economy, with affordable energy prices, safe and secure energy systems and European competitiveness.
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