Energy Policy in the EU

Latest news on the energy policy of the European Union.

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European Conference on Renewable Heating and Cooling (Dublin, from 22 April 2013, 00:00 CET to 23 April 2013, 00:00 CET) —

The 4th European Conference on Renewable Heating and Cooling will take place in Dublin on the 22nd-23rd April 2013, in association with the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and with the support of the European Commission.

Shah Deniz group to decide on Nabucco route before July — 10 January 2013, 13:42 CET

The consortium developing a huge gas field in Azerbaijan will decide by the end of June whether to pick the EU's flagship Nabucco pipeline as its preferred transport route to Europe, a Nabucco representative said on Thursday.

EU tightens noose on Iran with new sanctions — 21 December 2012, 19:25 CET

The EU has agreed new sanctions against Iran, adding 18 companies or institutions and one person to a blacklist aimed at forcing stalled talks on Tehran's contested nuclear drive to resume.

First call for proposals under the NER300 programme — 20 December 2012, 23:03 CET

The European Commission on 18 December awarded over EUR 1.2 billion funding to 23 highly innovative renewable energy demonstration projects under the first call for proposals for the so-called NER300 funding programme. Projects will be co-financed with revenues obtained from the sale of 200 million emission allowances from the new entrants' reserve (NER) of the EU Emissions Trading System.

Bulgaria says Azeri gas group to take 50% stake in Nabucco — 20 December 2012, 21:39 CET

Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II consortium may acquire as much as 50 percent in the Nabucco gas pipeline project, boosting prospects for its construction by ensuring gas supplies, a Bulgarian company involved said Thursday.

EU funds frozen for Lithuanian nuclear decommissioning — 14 December 2012, 16:59 CET

European Union funding for the decommissioning of Lithuania's Soviet-era nuclear reactor has been frozen to raise pressure to wrap up talks on the operation.

European Commission Conference on the Management of Radioactive Waste (Vilnus, Lithuania, from 14 October 2013, 00:00 CET to 16 October 2013, 00:00 CET) —

The Eight European Commission Conference on the Management of Radioactive Waste will take place from 14 to 16 October 2013 in Vilnus, Lithuania.

South Stream says undersea construction to begin in 2014 — 10 December 2012, 15:59 CET

Construction of the undersea section of the South Stream gas pipeline linking Russia to European consumers will only begin in 2014, the consortium said Monday after a major ceremony led by President Vladimir Putin launched the project.

A trio of gas pipelines fight for southern Europe — 07 December 2012, 17:05 CET

Three competing pipelines, South Stream, Nabucco and TAP, have launched projects in the past few years to supply southern Europe with gas from Russia, the Caspian Sea and beyond as Europe seeks to diversify its gas sources:

Putin launches construction of South Stream pipeline — 07 December 2012, 17:03 CET

President Vladimir Putin on Friday launched construction of the long-awaited South Stream pipeline that the Kremlin hopes will pump Russia's gas to Europe while avoiding its unpredictable neighbour Ukraine.

EU opens anti-trust probe into Bulgarian energy group — 03 December 2012, 14:01 CET

The European Commission has announced an anti-trust probe into Bulgarian Energy Holding on suspicion that it was abusing its dominant market position to limit competition.

Russian diplomat slams EU-backed Caspian pipeline — 01 December 2012, 22:56 CET

A Russian diplomat on Saturday called a planned pipeline linking gas-rich Turkmenistan with Europe via the Caspian Sea a political project of the West that could cause tensions without ensuring Europe's energy security.

Powers eye December talks with Iran in Turkey — 28 November 2012, 16:45 CET

World powers are proposing to Iran to hold their first round of talks in six months on Tehran's nuclear programme already in the first half of December in Istanbul, diplomatic sources say.

Morocco solar plant secures EUR 300m loan — 20 November 2012, 11:07 CET

Morocco's pioneering 160-megawatt solar power plant took a step forward on Monday, securing European financing agreements worth 300 million euros ($385 million), or nearly half of the project's cost.

Turkmenistan pushes ambitious trans-Afghan pipeline — 18 November 2012, 12:58 CET

Turkmenistan is pushing ahead with plans to build a hugely ambitious pipeline to transport its gas through conflict-torn Afghanistan to India and Pakistan, despite concerns about the viability of the project.

Making the internal energy market work - Communication — 15 November 2012, 17:04 CET

On 15 November 2012, the European Commission presented a Communication assessing the state of play of the internal energy market, to be completed by 2014. The Communication encourages EU Member States to step up efforts, highlighting the benefits of a truly integrated European market for citizens and business. The document also identifies the need for further action in a number of areas including consumer protection, enforcing the existing rules and investing in the modernisation of energy infrastructure. The Commission says it will work with Member States to empower consumers and to phase out state interventions which distort markets.

Options to reform the European carbon market — 14 November 2012, 19:05 CET

The European Commission is taking two important steps to address the growing supply-demand imbalance of emission allowances in the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS). As an immediate first step to address the rapid build-up of the surplus of emissions allowances, the Commission made a formal proposal to revise the auction time profile and delay ("back-load") the auctioning of 900 million allowances in the third phase of the EU ETS starting next year. The Commission also on 14 November adopted a report on the state of the European carbon market which sets out a range of possible structural measures that can be taken to tackle the surplus. The surplus of emission allowances has primarily built up because the economic crisis has reduced industrial emissions of greenhouse gases by more than anticipated, leading in turn to lower demand for allowances from businesses. The surplus is expected to continue in the third phase of the system, which will run from 2013 to 2020.

COGEN Europe Annual Conference (Brussels, from 18 April 2013, 00:00 CET to 19 April 2013, 00:00 CET) —

COGEN Europe is celebrating its 20th anniversary at next year’s Annual Conference on 18-19 April 2013 in Brussels.

EU anti-subsidy investigation on solar panel imports from China — 08 November 2012, 13:46 CET

The European Commission has launched an anti-subsidy ("countervailing duty") investigation into imports of solar panels and their key components (i.e. solar cells and solar wafers) originating in China.

EU probes subsidies for Chinese solar panel makers — 08 November 2012, 17:39 CET

The European Commission opened a fresh probe into Chinese solar panel makers on Thursday, raising the heat in the latest tit-for-tat dispute between China and its Western trading partners.

China files WTO complaint against EU over green energy: source — 05 November 2012, 16:36 CET

China has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the European Union over renewable energy subsidies, a source close to the world trade body said Monday.

China probes EU solar imports — 01 November 2012, 15:54 CET

China announced Thursday a trade investigation into European exports of solar-grade polysilicon, escalating a bitter trade row with the EU which has unveiled a similar probe into Chinese products.

Finland to build EUR 125m power plant in Mauritania — 30 October 2012, 19:15 CET

Mauritania has signed an accord with Finnish manufacturer Wartsila for the construction of a 125 million euro ($162 million) power plant, the state news agency reported Tuesday.

EU contacts Iran over nuclear dispute — 25 October 2012, 19:41 CET

The EU, leading diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, has talked to Tehran to bring it up to date on the latest discussions, officials said Thursday.

BBC services jammed in Middle East, Europe — 18 October 2012, 17:04 CET

The BBC said Thursday its services in the Middle East and Europe were being deliberately jammed, along with those of other broadcasters.