Energy

(EPSU Press Communication, 7 May 2008, Brussels) The European Parliament Committee on Energy voted with a narrow majority to force Member States to break up vertically integrated companies in the electricity sector, 6 May. The evidence presented by the European Commission for its ideological view has been criticised and found unfounded and based on erroneous assumptions. The social consequences for workers and citizens have not been investigated. The positive historical experience of many countries with vertically integrated companies has (...)

(21 April, Brussels) The governments, Transmission system operators (TSOs), regulators, electricity and gas exchanges (PXs) and several companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding together to create a regional market in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Germany. This implies that there will be one set of common rules for the region. The first steps are to create harmonised standards for auctions and IT platforms. A Capacity Auction Services Company will be created in which 7 (...)

The joint declaration stresses the importance of addressing climate change now and to involve the social partners. The declaration points to the opportunities and the risks for jobs of climate change. The EU should use forward looking instruments to foresee the effects and assist in the process of adaptation. The social partners should e regularly consulted.
To read the joint declaration:
or go to the ETUC (...)

(19 March 2008) The trade unions and the sectoral employers organisation reached agreement 18 March. The sectoral wages will be increased with 7% When inflation increases over the forecast of the government of 4.8%, workers will be compensated. The social benefits are kept. Further going agreements are possible at the level of the companies such as MVM, Eon, RWE and EDF. President Reszo Gal of EPSU affiliate VDSzSZ thanks all the unions that supported the trade unions in their difficult (...)

"It is a malfunctioning market and if you are in a whole you should stop digging", EPSU Deputy General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan told a public hearing organised by the Economic and Social Committee."Jobs are losts, prices increase, investment lags, research budgets are reduced and vulnerable users suffer. Who takes responsibility for this mess ?" He outlined the priorities for EPSU:
We are not in favour of ownership unbundling. The previous measures are only just implemented. And (...)

(6 February 2008) The European Parliament has opened a discussion on how to defend the interests of low income users in the internal market for gas and electricity. EPSU, the European organisation of social housing, the European Anti-poverty Network and others have stressed the need to tackle this issue and protect users against exploitation and high prices which can forced low income households into poverty. The UK trade union Unison has published a report on Fuel Poverty and how price (...)

(31 January, 2008, Brussels) A working group of eight energy sector trade unions, all members of the EPSU public services federation took place in Brussels yesterday (30 January). All the participants would like to express their solidarity with workers in Vattenfall in Germany:
“We support the warning strike that’s taking place between 7am and 11am on Friday 1 February. After three rounds of negotiations, the employer should make a much better offer and that means a straight pay (...)

EPSU is organising a workshop for energy trade unions in Germany, France, Benelux. The aim is to reflect on collective bargaining developments in a restricted region where companies, governments and regulatory instances work together to create a single market. This regional market, linked to the liberalisation of the electricity and gas markets, will have implications for the trade unions. To read more...
For the documents in English - French - German - (...)

(15 January 2008) The Lithuanian government is planning to build a new nuclear power station. Under pressure of rich businessmen it is considering to change the nuclear law which would allow private sector investors to take over the Lithuanian energy sector. The Lithuanian confederations have issued a joint declaration to warn about the situation for the public to the government and the Lithuanian parliament. The unions also organised a picket for the Semjus, the Lithuanian parliament, 15 (...)

Power in Europe, an energy magazine reports on the ongoing discussions on the third package. It includes an article that summarises the results of a study of Prof. Steve Thomas University of Greenwich, funded by EPSU. The magazine kindly gave permission to make the article available.

(16 November 2007) The proposals of the Commission on opening up the market for gas were the main topic of discussion in the European social dialogue committee gas. The employers and trade union representatives agreed that the Commission proposals take insufficient account of the implications on employment in the gas sector. The social partners are concerned that the proposals, and especially on ownership unbundling, will contribute to worsen the job perspectives in the gas industry. (...)

(14 November 2007, Brussels) The European Parliament Socialist Group today set out fresh thinking on EU energy policy needs and pledged to target energy poverty and consumer protection.
The Group said that in the run-up to adoption by Parliament of the European Commission’s energy market package it would also fight for a regulatory framework to allow network investment that would "keep the lights on in Europe." This would cover grid access and planning procedures for new and renewable (...)

(9 November 2007, Riga) EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs’, proposal for ownership unbundling remains hotly contested including in his home country of Latvia and neighboring Estonia. At a seminar in Riga today, hosted by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), the audience heard criticism of the Commissioners plans from Estonian and Latvian representatives of Government, Energy Companies, Trade Unions and Energy Regulators. "The Commission’s proposals do nothing to (...)

A Commission representative introduced the new package of measures to liberalise Europe’s energy markets as published 19 September 2007. Important issues in this package are: ownership unbundling, cooperation of transmission system operators, limitations to ownership of strategic assets by non-Eu state owned investment funds, agency for energy regulators. Trade unions pointed out their concern over ownership unbundling, its social implications and that it will no deliver. The union group (...)

Brussels, 20/09/2007
Yesterday, the European Commission published its plans for liberalising European energy. In the name of consumer protection, it continues in the pursuit of liberalisation of the European energy market at all costs. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) believes that this liberalisation drive fails to meet the real energy challenges facing Europe.
In the view of the ETUC, the Commission’s legislative package runs counter to the objectives of protecting the most (...)

The European Commission published the 3rd package 19 September 2007. An EPSU work group met on the same day to consider the package. The important issues are:
the proposals to strengthen the national and European regulator - including the creation of an Agency of European regulators;
to oblige the traders to be transparent as regards their deals to prevent manipulation of wholesale markets;
a stronger role of the European Network of Transmission System Operators and
proposals for (...)

PRESS COMMUNICATION, 19 September 2007
(Brussels, 19 September) The proposed changes to the directives on the Internal Market for Electricity and Gas, unveiled by the European Commission today, force restructuring in the electricity and gas industry. Astonishingly, the Commission has not seen fit to articulate any specific provisions to protect EU energy workers against these radical changes.
Although there is little evidence that it will bring reduced prices for Europe’s citizens and (...)

(18 September 2007) John Maynard Keynes identified in the 1920s cost and demand conditions under which competition doesn’t emerge. This seems largely forgotten. Keynes goes further, to explain how economists move from simplifying assumptions to abandonment of the actual facts, and to conclude that reality is what their model says The problems caused by introducing competition in the electricity sector in Europe (and documented by Steve Thomas of PSIRU in several publications for EPSU) (...)

(03 August 2007) A study carried out for the European Commission by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Social Development Agency, Syndex (France), Wuppertal Institute (Germany) and Istas (Spain) reveals that climate change and climate change mitigation policies represent a serious and unprecedented challenge for employment in Europe. A representative of EPSU participated in the working groups of the project and made a major contribution on the GreenforSure project in the (...)

(19 June 2007) Employers and trade unions in the European electricity sector agree that if Europe wants to attract the massive investment needed for new capacity and for keeping the networks safe and secure a stable framework is needed and not a changing of the rules every so many years. Trade unions were outspoken in their criticism of ownership unbundling but also employers are sceptical. Both sides agree to the importance of impact assessments including the social dimension. EPSU Deputy (...)

(18 June 2007) Leaders of the Russian energy trade unions (production, transmission, distribution; state and municipal utilities) stated very clearly that opening of the electricity and gas markets will hurt workers and citizens. Prices will increase for domestic users and vulnerable users, and vulnerable regions will suffer. Public services will be affected. The unions reflected on the Roadmaps to develop competitive and compatible markets in electricity as developed by the CIS Electric (...)

Union representatives from Italy, Bulgaria, Roumania, Slovakia and Spain met with management of the Italian energy company ENEL to discuss the establishment of a European Works Council (read the full article).

Several hundred representatives of workers in the energy, water and waste sector came together to decide policies for the next 4 years at a Verdi Conference 10-11 May 2007, Berlin.
The EPSU Deputy General Secretary addressed the Conference welcoming the proposals to fully participate in the campaign to obtain a million signatures for the petition. We need your support. You can be the ambassadors of another Europe in which not markets and profits are central but in which people take (...)

Joint ETUI, EPSU and PSI regional workshop
"Developing Social Dialogue in the SEE Energy community - MoU and the Social Forum”
Sofia, 7-8 June, 2007
The process of setting up of the regional SEE Energy Community has been completed and in operation since 2006. ETUI-REHS, EPSU/PSI and PERC are organising a regional workshop to develop a trade union strategy for the role of the trade unions in the SEE energy community. The workshop is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and (...)

(2 April 2007) The Bulgarian EPSU affiliate NFE adopted a statement on its last congress (March 2007) on the effects of liberalisation. They notice:
Power cuts
Short termism of management;
Lack of investment in technical equipment;
Certain social (vulnerable) groups and regions are poorly connected and do not receive electricity. More people can not afford heating and are cut off.
Production has decreased, and exports to neighboring countries decreased, driving up prices in many (...)

(7 March 2007) EPSU organised the energy conference to consider the European Energy Package of the European Commission and to discuss with representatives of the trade unions and (European) works councils the implications. The energy package was introduced by the Commission Deputy Director General Energy Fabricio Barbaso, who underlined the need to address climate change and dependency and argued that the energy package also had a job creating potential. The Commission remains convinced that the internal market electricity and gas should be pursued (...).

 Read the contributions here

 Read a short report of the conference

EPSU/ SDA European Energy Conference
European Works Councils - Internal market and European energy policy: Mergers, Restructuring and Outsourcing - Common perspectives and responses
1 March - 2 March 2007, International Trade Union House - Auditorium, Boulevard du Roi Albert II, no. 5, 1210 Brussels
Start: 9.00 - 1 March 2007 End - 16.00 - 2 March 2007
International Trade Union House Auditorium 5 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 1210 Brussels
Read a short report of the conference
Draft (...)

13 and 14 February 2007, the Roumanian energy unions including EPSU affiliates FEM III and Univers organised strike picket at the ENEL and CEZ headquarters in Roumania . This to underline their demands for wage increases in 2007. Other pickets were suspend as the employers such as the ministers for economy and finance and the national Authority for energy decided to meet part of the (...)

(16 February 2007) The Council of Ministers for Energy discussed a number of proposals of the European Commission to continue with the internal market for electricity and gas, 15 Febuary 2007.
Council members reached no agreement over the Commission’s proposals on ownership unbundling. Last minute lobbying efforts of EPSU unions born fruit with governments and convinced several Member States that ownership unbundling is not a priority. First the provisions of the Directives should be (...)

(19 February 2007) The work group of the sectoral social dialogue committee electricity met 16 February 2007. It discussed: the results of the employment study. It is now in its final stage. EPSU warned against attempts of the Commission to "massage" away conclusions that are critical of the internal market for electricity and gas, or to drown the impact of liberalisation in a confuscating web of all kinds of other reasons for the job losses.
The employers and the unions agreed to draw (...)

(8 February 2007): action a success - read the preliminary agreement

(6 February 2007) Update: Hungarian strike in electricity a success. The two hour strike of EPSU affilaite VdSzSz and other unions is a big success. Participation in the strike varies between 65 and 95% of workers according to the work place. Many non-unionised workers have joined the action. Production has been reduced with 200-300 MW. A big achievement for our Hungarian colleagues that sends a powerful message to the government.

EPSU’s Hungarian affiliate VdSzSz and several other unions are planning a national wide strike on 6 and 8 February. On 6 February workers will stop for 2 hours and on 8 February for 8 hours. The unions protest the bullying tactics used by the liberal minister who swept an earlier agreement reached in December of the table to enhance his political profile as a runner up to lead his party. The unions demand that the government respect earlier agreements that provide workers in the sector (...)

The European Commission published its energy package 10 January 2007. It addresses many issues including climate change. The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) supports addressing climate change. EPSU is critical of the hardcore of the energy package which is to continue to create the internal market for electricity and gas. A key issue is to force ownership unbundling. EPSU affiliated unions met to discuss this and other proposals, 19 January 2007, Brussels.

Sven Bergelin, President of the EPSU Standing Committee Public Utilities argues: “The ownership unbundling proposals of the Commission will increase prices, will risk investments and are a slap in the face of those companies who implemented legal unbundling as the law prescribes. The Commission changes the rules of the game again after only three years. And once again nothing on the social consequences. Unacceptable. We ask the Council to reject these proposals.”

Verdi is organising a large energy workers demonstration on 7 February 2007 in Berlin. It starts at 12.00 at the Potsdammr Platz.
The union protests the tough targets for reductions of costs, including personel, demanded by the network regulator. These lead to massive job losses. It also targets overly severe targets for Co2 reductions and emission trading with no social perspective and it protests against the forced ownership unbundling; the European Commission is advocating. (...)

 Read our press release

The European social partners for the European electricity industry had requested an update of the 2001 employment study by the Commission. The first results of this study into the effect of the opening of electricity and gas markets in Europe (covering all Member States and Roumania, Bulgaria and Turkey) were presented, 16 October. Their findings indicate that 23% of jobs have been lost between 1996 and 2006. It is a process that is still going on. The results of the study are based on (...)

"Radical overhaul needed to reverse EU-wide trends"

(Brussels, 13 October, 2006) CAPGEMINI reported on the risk of electricity shortages in Europe yesterday. Its report confirms that the internal market for electricity and gas has failed to deliver on its goals. It is the latest in a series of reports that demonstrate that liberalisation does not work for the electricity sector.

Press Communication: Brussels, 21 September (immediate release) “Price volatility will lead to ‘intolerable life’ for consumers”. On the eve of the European Commission Public Hearing on European Energy Policy new research from the University of Greenwich reveals that the continued short-comings of the EU energy market are ‘structurally inherent’ and cannot be repaired by more competition, as European Commission President Barosso would wish (...).

The European Commission needs to develop a plan B that ensures that citizens and business are protected from the consequences of the internal market for electricity and gas which clearly does not bring lower prices nor more investments, argued Jan Willem Goudriaan EPSU Deputy General Secretary in a meeting with the EU Energy Presidency Finnish Minister Pekkarinen, 12 September 2006 (...)

(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 (...)

Issues considered included:
A study on climate change policy, climate change and employment. The study is carried out by Syndex, Wuppertal Institute and others. It considers a number of scenarios and what the effects can be on different sectors (such as production of electricity) including in terms of employment. An important part of the study includes the technological development in the energy and transport system, what are already realistic options and what can be expected to be (...)

While the analysis of the challenges facing Europe as pointed out in the Green Paper is largely supported, EPSU rejects the priority of creating the internal market in electricity and gas as a corner stone of Europe’s energy policy. Continuing with the internal market contradicts and undermines several of the other priorities which EPSU regards as more important. EPSU will argue that a priority needs to be that Europe’s energy policy is democratically accountable. This is currently not the (...)

Соглашаясь в основном с анализом проблем, стоящих перед Европой, содержащимся в (...)

(Brussels 29 March, 2006) Energy Trade Unions from European and the USA today announced joint action to confront German energy giant EON. The Energy company has reneged on its pledge to hire unionized workers. It is this u-turn on hiring union workers that has provoked the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) into action.

(7 April 2006) US workers have started their protests against the nonunion policies of German energy giant Eon. The first action was in front of the German embassy in Washington. It involved around 150 workers. More actions will now follow.

(31 May 2006) ETUC statement to High Level Group stresses employment and energy democracy
(5 April 2006) The European Commission established the high level group to address issues where competitiveness, energy and environmental policies inter-relate. It has a mandate for two years. There are 4 Commissioners, representatives of several governments, industry, regulators, competition authorities, environmental organisations and the social partners. The ETUC is represented by the (...)

A strike of workers in Gas de France has affected gas distribution, several companies and public organisations are affected. The strike is widely supported.
To read more (in French):

(17/03/2006) One of Europe’s biggest companies is Gazprom, the Russian gas giant. It is also one of Europe’s largest employers. As not much information appears available EPSU has commissioned a company profile from PSIRU. The focus is on the company’s external dimension and identifies the main foreign subsidiaries, its interests in the Ukrainian gas crises and the North East Pipeline (NEG).
For the (...)

The Steering Committee of the European Commission gas and electricity research project met with Commission staff and the consultants to consider the first results of the study, 13 March 2006.
EPSU stressed the importance to consider the issue of outsourcing. The study will now move into its second phase in which companies and social partners will be receiving a questionnaire and selected cases will be considered. The next meeting of the steering committee will be in June and a Workshop/ (...)

Press Communication: Brussels Immediate release, 7 March 2006
The European energy sector is in profound turmoil. Already 50 billion Euro’s have been squandered on take-overs and mergers, and not returned to society in lower prices, more investments and more jobs. According to EPSU research more then 300.000 jobs have gone in the electricity sector. After slashing jobs, companies now turn on their remaining employees to extract more profits out of them. A recent example is Vattenfall Europe, (...)

Press Communication: Brussels, Immediate release, 7 March 2006
A Genuine European energy policy must mean genuine consultation “New EU energy policy initiative must reflect concerns of ALL stakeholders and not just big energy companies”
Subject : EPSU reaction to Green Paper on European Energy Policy
(Brussels, 7 March, 2006) Tomorrow sees the publication by the European Commission of the Green Paper on European Energy Policy. The European Federation of Public Service Unions (...)

Автор: Стив Томас
Три года тому назад Европейский Союз принял директивы, согласно (...)

Press Communication -immediate release 16 February 2006
Commission does not address employment issues !
In a hallucinating public presentation European Commissioner Kroes says: The internal market electricity and gas does not work. Hence we need more of it.
In a meeting packed with representatives of the energy sector, big business and corporate lawyers, European Commissioner for Competition presented the findings of the energy sector inquiry. The findings confirm what EPSU has been (...)

The Commission’s proposal for the Services Directive needs to be rejected and EPSU will be present to underline this at the Euro manifestation in Strasbourg 14 February. The EPSU Deputy General Secretary called on delegates of the Congress of FILCEM to resist the run-away neo-liberal policies. FILCEM General Secretary Alberto Morseli, ex FNLE General Secretary Giacomo Berni and others of the union will be present at the demonstration.
The EPSU Deputy General Secretary further addressed the (...)

The Employers (Eurelectric) and trade unions met to consider a broad range of issues on 14 and 15 December (read more)

Press Communication: Brussels Immediate release, 1 December 2005
1500 energy workers descended on Brussels 1 December 2005. They gave a vocal signal to the European energy ministers who are meeting today: Keep the lights on. Stop the deregulation madness. In the light of mounting evidence illustrating problems the ministers are considering progress with the internal market for electricity and gas. A Commission evaluation report is on top of the agenda.
A delegation from the European (...)

Solidarity messages have come in from many unions across Europe. Colleagues from Kosovo, energy workers from the Czech Republic, gas workers from Slovakia, local unions from the Netherlands, gas, nuclear, electricity and municipal unions from the Ukraine, the union from Switzerland engaged in a referendum to stop liberalisation, Serbia etc. Several individual trade unionists sent us messages. Some unions published their press releases taking up the demands of the energy demonstration such (...)

For Jobs, Public Services and a Social Europe - also in the Energy Sector
Keep the Lights On - Now and in the Future
Show Europe’s Energy Ministers our Voice
Energy Action, 1 December, Brussels
Action d’énergie, 1er décembre 2005, Bruxelles
Energieactie, 1 december 2005, Brussel
Aufruf zur Beteiligung an einer Energiemaßnahme 1. Dezember 2005, Brüssel
Europe’s Energy Ministers will meet on the 1st December in Brussels. EPSU wants to be present. We ask you to send a delegation to an EPSU (...)

Press Communication: Brussels
Immediate release, 28 November 2005 The European Federation of Public Service Unions, EPSU, organises a demonstration 1 December 2005, Brussels. 1500 or more workers are expected to descend on Brussels to make their voice heard. The Council of Ministers for Energy meets that day. The ministers are considering progress with the internal market for electricity and gas. A Commission evaluation report is on top of the agenda. The trade union message:
Keep the (...)

(18 November 2005) The unions met in a combative spirit. They reported on the actions undertaken to obtain a social pillar in the South East European Energy Community. The unions welcomed the positive statement on the Memorandum on the social dimension of the SEE Energy Community by European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs at the EPSU Energy Conference (4 November).
Read (...)

EPSU has developed a toolkit that help you to understand the challenges facing the trade unions: Facts 4: The treaty on European union and public services (page 14) The treaty of the European Union has its origins back to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 (Treaty of Paris) and subsequently to the European Economic Community in 1957 (Treaty of Rome). A third smaller organisation Euratom was also established in 1957. Facts 5: The institutions and (...)

"We will need coordinated and joint action to draw attention to our demands and underline that Europe’s internal market for electricity and gas is not the success story claimed for it", argued EPSU Deputy General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan at the EPSU Energy Conference.

(4 November 2005) The Commissioner defended the results of the internal market for electricity and gas to participants in the EPSU energy conference. "There is no turning back." The Commission will put forward new proposals if current legislation does not achieve the purpose of creating the internal market.
Participants critically questioned the Commissioner on the benefits for citizens, large industry, workers. The Commissioner committed to an ongoing dialogue with EPSU and challenged the (...)

(8 November 2005) The EPSU delegation continued the message of the EPSU Energy Conference: Liberalisation of the internal market for electricity and gas market does not bring the benefits acclaimed. The UK Minister, currently president of the Council of Ministers made clear that the EU had decided to open its markets in 2003 and that this decision needed to be implemented. The discussion focused on the agenda of the Energy Council meeting of 1 December.
Evaluation of the internal market (...)

(4 November 2005) Claude Turmes, rapporteur on the internal market in the European Parliament, started a heated discussion with trade unions when he advocated that the grids should be unbundled and put in public ownership.

EPSU European Energy Conference Understanding European Policy on Internal Market Electricity and Gas
Preparing for the European Evaluation of the Internal Market(*) OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE International Trade Union House, 5 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, Brussels 09h00-16h30
For more information on European integration and the education work of EPSU read here
Day 1: Thursday, 3 November 2005
Opening/ Welcome/ Objectives
President of the EPSU Standing Committee Public Utilities, Sven Bergelin, (...)

(28 October 2005) This was the conclusion of participants at the European energy conference organised by EPSU affiliated union VdSzSz. EPSU Deputy General Secretary addressed the conference reporting the results of the studies commissioned by EPSU. These studies show no noticeable benefits of the internal market. They demonstrate the lack of investment in networks and capacity, in training and in research & development and underline 300.000 jobs losses. “We have to consider a more (...)

Workers in EDF UK have voted for industrial action. The pay offer of the employer (EDF) has been insufficient and below inflation. EPSU recalls that unions in Europe strive towards achieving compensation for inflation increase and for an appropriate share in productivity growth. We do not accept that companies rope in large profits and do not share these with workers (19 October 2005). To read more see the News Release (...)

Structural reform is part of the Lisbon Agenda. It meant to liberalise energy, post and transport amongst others. EPSU commissioned a report from the European Trade Union Institute to explore if there is evidence that liberalisation does bring something more positive then job reduction. The paper argues that the association between structural reforms in the network industries and productivity growth, with some notable exceptions, is insignificant. The benefits of structural reforms, such as (...)

18 October 2005, update: the union reports that the government has reacted positively to our intervention, there have been meetings and a social package and new collective agreements are being prepared.
(19 September 2005) The Macedonian government has decided to privatise the electricity company of Macedonia ESM. 90% of the shares should be sold. Several foreign investors have indicated their interest. The process takes place without consultation of the trade unions. No social guarantees (...)

Documento della Segreteria Nazionale FLAEI CISL redatto con la collaborazione dell’Ing Giuseppe Lo Verso
Sommario
Si vuole dimostrare come le novità legislative introdotte in Italia, a seguito della direttiva europea 96/92/CE, non accompagnate da scelte adeguaste di politica energetica, non hanno determinato una riduzione del prezzo dell’energia elettrica per i consumatori finali e un miglioramento della qualità e della fruibilità del servizio e delle condizioni di sicurezza degli (...)

(July 2005) A well-known group of US engineers was asked to evaluate the root causes of the US black-out. The authors see deregulation and restructuring as being the cause. Laws of economics replaced the laws of physics. Market fundamentalism permeates the industry and that makes making recommendations for change difficult. The authors try. Some of their recommendations are:
Before implementing a new market design, ensure and demonstrate that the design’s impacts on the reliable operation (...)

The ETUC Balkan Forum adopted the following declaration:
Declaration
of the Regional Conference of the ETUC Balkans Trade Union Forum Brussels, 18 June 2005
The leaders and experts of the representative trade union organization from South Eastern Europe participating in the Conference expressed their concern over the lack of clear social dimension in the initialed Treaty establishing an Energy Community in SEE and welcome the proposal for a Memorandum on the social aspects of the energy (...)

The ETUC organises the Forum to discuss with the trade unions in the region the different European developments. These concerned the future prospects for membership, the social dimension of Enlargement and the lessons for the Balkans, initiative for social cohesion. EPSU Deputy General Secretary was invited to address the South East European Energy Treaty. He informed them of the activities of EPSU and the work EPSU has done to ensure Commission and governments take Social Europe serious. (...)

Commissioner Piebalgs: "The trade unions are an important stakeholder in European Energy Policy.
I welcome the dialogue with the trade unions." For more please see our press release

PSI organised a seminar with the Russian and Ukrainian trade unions in the electricity and gas sector, 17-18 February 2005, Moscow. Privatisation, multinational companies, electricity as a social good and essential service were among the main themes of discussion. The EU has several programmes for Russia and Ukraine which aim to promote the EU internal market model. The EPSU Deputy General Secretary participated to inform the unions of the grim experience of the European trade unions with (...)

General Comments
Omissions
It is essential in evaluating the Commission’s proposed indicators for the 2004-2005 Benchmarking Report to know which, if any, indicators that were included in the 3rd report will not be included in the 4th report. This is not clear from the presentation of the indicators on the Commission’s website.
For example, Table 2 in the 2004 Benchmarking report covered ‘Competences and Resources of Regulators’. No mention is made of this in ‘Implementation of (...)

EPSU met with representatives of the Dutch government currently holding the Presidency of the EU to discuss a number of energy issues, 8 November 2004. The principal issue of concern was the Draft Directive on Security of Supply. EPSU raised the lack of investment in power companies and transmission network. The directive needs to be clearer on the concept of reasonable costs and to prevent profiteering. There is a role for the regulator in an open and transparent process in which consumer (...)

Operators, regulators, trade unions, employers, environmental organisations involved in energy and transport met in a new composition in the Forum, 12 October. The Forum considers EU policy in the area of transport and energy, including services of general interest and users’ rights. EPSU is represented in the Forum.

Международная солидарность в интегрированной промышленности The EPSU Charter on transnational solidarity for an integrated industry focusing on the mutual support (...)

The European energy sector changes rapidly. It was one of the main topics of discussion at the EPSU Congress, 14 - 17 June 2004, Stockholm, Sweden. Europe`s trade unions adopted a Declaration on International Solidarity in an Integrated Industry. All unions signed the symbolically pledging to uphold trade union rights and to support each other in the case of conflict with employers many of which are now active in more European countries.
One of these company is the Italian electricity (...)

Congress press release
EPSU delegates have unanimously agreed a transnational solidarity accord for the European Electricity and Gas sectors at their Congress today. The accord states that Companies who violate social standards, or companies that do not sign the appropriate collective agreement for the Electricity sector, will be targeted by all EPSU energy unions.
EPSU’s energy affiliates will engage in a solidarity campaign to ensure compliance of the company with these standards. (...)

The French energy unions continue their actions against the proposals of the government to open-up the capital of state-owned companies EdF and GdF. The public service, employment and pay and conditions will be the first victims of such a policy. The actions hurt the production of electricity. The networks can become unstable forcing the system operator to cut off experts to UK, Germany, Belgium. Unions have been requested to monitor the situation. EPSU Congress has sent a message of (...)

The trade unions discussed the challenges workers are facing in the utilities and what the implications are for collective bargaining and the coordination of collective bargaining. Issues related to the internal market and liberalisation, privatisation and restructuring were the main themes. Companies that leave national collective agreements, outsourcing and off shoring, attacks on pension systems and pressure on wages were some of the problems discussed. Representatives discussed which (...)

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