Barroso says EU needs united policy towards energy suppliers

The 25 European Union states need to have a single, united policy towards countries that supply energy to the bloc, so they are in a stronger position to negotiate with the latter, the president of the European Commission said in Poland on Saturday.

"If we spoke with one voice, we would be stronger vis-a-vis energy suppliers," said the head of the EU's executive arm.

Poland is concerned about plans by Russian and German companies to build a gas pipeline linking their two countries, which will pass under the Baltic Sea.

Warsaw and the three Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- complain the pipeline, which will bypass them, will deprive them of potentially lucrative gas transit fees and will undermine their energy security.

Barroso said one way of building up a common energy policy would be to develop the EU's internal market for energy.

"It is important to create a common (EU energy) market and not 25 or 27 markets," he said. "We have to speak with one voice to third parties."

"Even the biggest member states don't have the possibility and the guarantee of getting what they want when they're on their own.

"We must show the strength of the internal market. It's in everybody's interests to resolve this together," he added.

Energy was one of the main topics of Barroso's two-day visit to Warsaw, which ended on Saturday and during which he met Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski and his twin brother President Lech Kaczynski.