The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), on Thursday put forward a wide-ranging package to boost energy security in the EU in a bid to secure sustainable supplies.
Under the package, the Commission proposed a new strategy to increase energy solidarity among member states and a new policy to stimulate investment in more efficient, low-carbon energy networks.
The commission proposed the new EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan, which establishes five areas where more action is needed to secure sustainable energy supplies.
"More effective support is needed to projects to build the required infrastructure. The EU has to make better use of its indigenous energy resources, both renewable and fossil," according to the plan.
Among other things, the plan says more attention has to be paid to EU crisis mechanisms, oil stocks and ways to respond to possible gas disruptions. Additional efforts also have to be made to improve energy efficiency, according to the plan.
Presenting the new energy package, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called for urgent action to address ever-increasing prices and dependence on energy imports.
"Energy prices have risen by an average of 15 percent in the European Union in the last year. Fifty-four percent of Europe's energy is imported at a cost of 700 euros for every EU citizen," Barroso said. "We have to address this urgently, by taking measures to increase our energy efficiency and reduce our dependence on imports."
He said that the EU needs to invest and diversify and that the proposal demonstrates the commission's desire to guarantee secure and sustainable energy supplies.
European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs underlined the opportunities for new investment, cost savings and additional jobs.
"The EU has come together as never before to deal with climate change, high energy prices and energy security. But we have to do more, be more ambitious, and be even bolder to avoid the risk of energy disruption in the future," Piebalgs said.
The commissioner said that effort includes investment because investing in energy, including energy efficiency, would give the economy a needed push in the current uncertain times.
The energy package's first priority is to adopt and rapidly implement measures needed to reach EU energy policy targets that are aimed at a 20-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a20-percent share for renewables in final energy consumption and a 20-percent saving in future energy demand by 2020.
"Cleaner, more diverse and more efficient energy will be good for Europe's energy supply and economy," the Commission said. "The new rules will also create a more stable, consistent and transparent environment for new energy investments."
The second priority of the package is to address the growing precariousness of Europe's energy supply security.
"Even when the renewable energy policy goals are reached, Europe is likely to be dependent on more imports than today. The EU needs to improve the current policies to achieve its energy efficiency objective," the Commission said.
The Commission also proposed a greater focus on energy in the EU's international relations, including the establishment of relationships with supplier, transit and consumer countries based on interdependence.
Such a proposal would contribute to the achievement of the EU energy policy goals and also increase the EU's influence on international energy developments.
The issue of investment is also central to the package. The EU's networks need billions of investment euros to replace aging infrastructure and adapt to low-carbon and renewable energy.
The new energy package came just one day ahead of the EU-Russia summit in France that will be dominated by energy and the financial crisis.
As the major energy supplier of the 27-member EU, Russia provides about 26 percent of the EU's total oil imports and 29 percent of its natural gas imports.
Reducing its energy dependence on Russia has been a pressing issue for the EU in recent years.
Source:Xinhua
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