Trans-European energy networks: guidelines

The Commission proposal established the Community objectives, the priorities for the period between 1994 and the year 2000 and the main thrust of planned Community action designed to stimulate the development of trans-European energy networks. Community guidance, by promoting the development, interconnection and interoperability of these networks, as well as access to them, would help to achieve the following objectives: - make the energy supply to the Community more secure, - pave the way for the effective operation of the single market, and - help to open up disadvantaged, remote and island regions. In order to achieve these objectives, the Commission proposed the establishment of the following priorities: - the electricity grid: links between isolated regions, especially the less wealthy regions; connections between Member States and interconnections with non-Member States in Europe and with the Mediterranean countries; - the natural-gas supply network: introduction of natural gas into new regions; connection of isolated networks to the trans-European networks; increase in transport, reception and storage capacities. The main aims of the proposed action were: - to identify projects of common interest, and - to create a more favourable climate for the implementation of trans-European energy-network programmes by taking initiatives of a technical, administrative, judicial and financial nature. �