Electricity: common rules for the internal market

In adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mr Claude DESAMA (PSE, B), Parliament approved the common position of the Council on the proposal for a Directive concerning liberalization of the internal market in electricity. For want of a sufficient majority Parliament was unable to adopt the amendments tabled by its Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy covering, in particular, harmonization of rules concerning environmental protection, taxation and social protection of workers, transparency of company accounts, employment protection and regional planning, the public-service obligation, long-term contracts between State and local or regional authorities, and co-generation (combined heat and electricity production). �