EURELECTRIC Conference
“BUILDING A SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: HOW CAN MARKET INTEGRATION CONTRIBUTE?”
17 March 2010
Hotel Renaissance, Rue du Parnasse 19, 1050 Brussels
Keynote Speeches
Günther Oettinger - Videoclip
 The afternoon session of the conference commenced with a speech by EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger who talked at length on "An integrated and competitive electricity market: a stepping stone to a sustainable future". The speech was warmly welcomed by conference participants both for the overall factual and concrete details that were given as well as for the clarity as regards the Commission’s ambitions on energy policy. Commissioner Oettinger informed the audience that a market design project had been initiated with a view to "delivering a roadmap for a truly integrated pan-European market by 2015".
He added "the Commission will remain on the forefront and keep the momentum to ensure the plans follow action". Commissioner Oettinger also focused on the importance of improving regulatory coordination and cooperation across national borders. To this end, the European Agency for Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has been established under the Third Energy Package. Mr Oettinger expressed his wish for an influential Agency as "a strong Agency is what we need to face the multiple challenges of regulating the European energy market", he said. He further announced a number of new legislative proposals which will come out this year, such as an Energy Infrastructure Package, including a proposal for an EU Energy Security and Infrastructure Instrument to replace the current TEN-E guidelines. As part of the infrastructure package, the Commission is also looking into harmonising investment rules in the EU and to attract private financing.
 Mr Antonio Hernández, Director General for Energy Policy and Mining in the Spanish Ministry of Industry, whose country is currently holding the rotating Presidency of the EU Council, outlined the Presidency’s energy priorities. Making the Agency for Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) "fully operational", ensuring proper implementation of the RES Directive via notably the development of the Mediterranean Solar Plan and the exploration of the practical use of the flexibility mechanisms of the RES Directive, were some key priorities identified by Mr Hernández. Reacting to a question by EURELECTRIC Secretary General Hans ten Berge regarding the progress of creating an internal energy market, Mr Hernández said that, from the Spanish perspective, a key point for the internal market is cross-border interconnectors.
"The problem of cross-border interconnectors is the financing. For me, the financiers should be not only the two interconnected countries, but the whole beneficiary countries. In the case of gas it is completely clear. If we can transfer gas from the Southern Mediterranean to Europe through Italy or through Spain, the beneficiaries are not only the two countries, but the whole EU by diversifying the sources of gas security of supply. For me, the financing should not be only related to economic and financial factors, but to policy factors",
Mr Hernández stressed, pointing to the possibility to make use of the new energy provisions in the Lisbon Treaty.
|
