Major groups energy threatened with disbandment

Climate change, scarcity and high prices of fossil fuels, dependence on the difficult Russian neighbour, aging of insufficiently interconnected infrastructure: Europe is in urgent need of an ambitious and coherent energy policy. This is the message that address the Commissioner responsible for energy, Andris Piebalgs, the MEPs and the twenty-seven, January 10, with a package of proposals on an unprecedented scale. This package deals with both of the Organization of the European market, the EU's relations with its suppliers, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and nuclear.

According to a preliminary version of the text, "Les echos" have obtained a copy, Brussels should point to the many shortcomings of a still highly fragmented European market, the direction of liberalization of the gas and electricity have been transposed so highly variable from one country to another. To remedy these shortcomings, Andris Piebalgs made a proposal that should not miss of susceptibility some capitals on the dissociation (the "unbundling") between producers and managers of transportation and distribution networks. Brussels is mine to consider two options: either the creation of independent network, in which production or supply companies could no longer hold significant participation, while keeping ownership of the infrastructure themselves, or the separation of total property ("ownership unbundling"). In truth, the Commission prefers far second solution already adopted in 12 States which seemed the most able to allow entry of new actors and to promote investments in modernization of the power lines, gas pipelines, and interconnections. Such a decision would be severe consequences for groups like EDF or gas of France, because it simply opens the way to the dismantling of the old monopolies. To date, a real autonomy of management has been entrusted to transport networks (ten to the power lines, gas TSOS for gas pipelines), but in France, they are still 100 of the incumbent operators. EDF, as GDF, always fought against the idea of heritage separation of networks. The Habs electrician instead touting its "integrated model", which allows him to control all links in the energy chain, from central to the final consumer.

But the dissociation of the networks is only one of the proposals by Brussels, to which this measure cannot be effective without national regulators with real powers and independent.

Most power regulators aus

As it is rarely the case at the present time, the Commission proposes, to strengthen cooperation between national authorities in the European Group of regulators for gas and electricity, either give this group the power to take binding decisions, or, finally, to create a Community body, as the Commission is trying to do in telecommunications. Here also, we feel that Andris Piebalgs looking for the maximalist option, should not fail to hit their energy sovereignty more interested Member States.

From Brussels, this deepening of the internal market for energy is a necessity to achieve the target reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2 emissions are expected to decrease by 20 in Europe by 2020). To this end, Andris Piebalgs wants a "new industrial revolution". Europe, by developing cleaner technologies, wind energy, biomass, production of green fuels, could he create long-term many highly skilled jobs. The Commission also wants to increase the energy efficiency of the EU by 20 in the next 15 years, with more sober vehicles, better insulated buildings, electrical appliances use less power, and the development of public transport.

However, this set of texts, including the final objectives of consensus, should piss off everyone, or almost. The Member States, always reluctant to the idea of losing prerogatives. Major groups energy, threatened with disbandment. Environmental NGOs and the Greens, who already feel too shy text. Claude Turmes, MEP for the Greens-EFA Group, the objective of 20 reduction of CO2 emissions is clearly insufficient: "it will not prevent the construction, in the decade ahead, polluting conventional plants whose life will be thirty to fifty years.". The Greens also regret that the text is not interested in the transport sector, and leaves too flexibility to States on renewable energy.