Energy Charter and Protocol on energy efficiency and related environmental aspects

The Council presented an update of the situation as regards the European Energy Charter on the basis of a progress report submitted by the General Secretariat to the Council. In this it reaffirmed its support for the European Energy Charter, which provided a stable legal framework for long-term energy cooperation between the countries of eastern and western Europe, and repeated its resolute commitment to the Charter. According to the Council, it was extremely important that the Energy Charter Treaty should be ratified by the Member States as soon as possible and subsequently concluded by the European Communities.