Energy: rules for the internal market in electricity. 'Electricity Directive'

The European Parliament passed a resolution adopting some of the amendments in a report by Claude TURMES (Greens/EFA, L). The Council modified its common position enabling compromise amendments to be agreed. These include the following: - equality of access for EU electricity companies to national consumers; - the parent companies of the transmission system operator and the distribution system operator will be able to approve the annual financial plans and set global limits on the levels of indebtedness of its subsidiary. The parent company will not be able to give instructions regarding day-to-day operations; - the audit must verify the obligation to avoid discrimination and cross-subsidies is respected - until 2010, the relevant authorities of the Member States will provide the Commission with a report on market dominance, predatory and anti-competitive behaviour. This report will also review the changing ownership patterns and any practical measures taken at national level to ensure a sufficient variety of market actors or practical measures taken to enhance interconnection and competition. From 2010 onwards, the relevant authorities will provide such a report every two years. - national regulatory authorities shall contribute to the development of the internal market and of a level playing field by cooperating with each other and with the Commission in a transparent manner; - on the question of the Commission report, Parliament stipulated this must include the scope and modalities of labelling provisions including e.g. the way in which reference is made to existing reference sources and the content of these sources, and notably on the manner in which the information on the environmental impact in terms of at least emissions of CO2 and the radioactive waste resulting from the electricity production from different energy sources could be made available in a transparent manner throughout the European Union and on the manner in which the measures taken by the Member States to control the accuracy of the information provided by suppliers could be streamlined, and measures to counteract negative effects of market dominance and market concentration; - Commission proposals to ensure the independence of distribution system operators should also concern measures to address issues of market dominance, market concentration and predatory or anti-competitive behaviour.�