Trans-European energy networks: guidelines

The Commission is of the opinion that the common position improves the Commission proposal by clarifying a number of issues, such as the project specification, the olefin networks and renewable sources of energy.

The Commission notes that the necessary coordination of cross-border projectsand the corresponding cooperation of Member States are not established. The Council did not take up the proposal to coordinate better all Community funds and to give them the same priority, in particular for projects of European interest. Further, it did not accept the reporting requirements for all priority projects declared of European interest irrespective of possible funding by the Commission.

In the informal discussions the differences with regard to these issues could not be resolved. Consequently, the Commission regrets that despite in-depth informal discussions it was not possible to reach an agreement in first reading. The Commission maintains its objection to the deletion of the proposed measures concerning the designation of a “European coordinator” and the separate category

of “projects of European interest” notably in view of ensuring secure and competitive energy markets, and recalls that the Parliament’s opinion at first reading accepted the Commission’s proposal on this aspect.

The Commission notes the unanimous political agreement in the Council. However, it recalls its proposal regarding the possibility of designating a “European Coordinator” and of granting the “Declaration of European interest” to the cross-border priority projects, and stresses that the Council’s approach to the dossier needs to accord with what the Council and the European Parliament already

accepted on 29 April 2004 in relation to the guidelines for the trans-European transport networks.