(12 September 2006) Consumers and Environment pressure groups took the chance to point to the blind spots of the Commission’s conception of competition in electricity and gas. Skyrocketing energy prices, caused by UK style liberalisation, forces less well off people ‘to choose between heating and eating’, it was said. Critics also called for a proper concept for an external energy policy and for more emphasis to be laid on renewables and energy efficiency.

In his greeting to the participants, Commissioner Piebalgs expressly welcomed the lively debate over the Green paper. He stressed that in most all of the EU 25 countries there are serious problems with competition in energy. Safeguarding competition as well as sustainability and security of supply “is best done by the market”, said the Commissioner.

Representatives of energy multinationals joined in, arguing the internal market on energy needed more liberalization and less regulation. The Commission’s plan to extend the acquis communautaire on energy to the Union’s neighbouring countries in South East Europe and the Maghreb region also is very much to the industry’s liking.

Agreeing over the deficiencies of the internal market on energy, most participants, however, displayed faith in the healing forces of the market. The hearing was organized by the European Parliament, 12 September 2006. The position of the EP will be voted on in committee 6 November 2006 and during November Session II in plenary.

Read more: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/green-paper-energy/index_en.htm