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Energy Policy in the EU

Latest news on the energy policy of the European Union.

Smart Specialisation Platform on Energy - green and efficient energy for Europe's regions 26 May 2015, 13:27 CET
The European Commission launched on 26 May the European Smart specialisation platform on energy, which will support regions and EU Member States in using Cohesion Policy funding more effectively for promoting sustainable energy. The Platform will help regions to share their expertise on sustainable energy investments and especially on the deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies.

Commission sector inquiry into mechanisms to ensure electricity supplies 29 April 2015, 19:20 CET
The European Commission has launched a state aid sector inquiry into national measures to ensure that adequate capacity to produce electricity is available at all times to avoid black-outs (so-called "capacity mechanisms").

Gazprom: European Commission Statement of Objections 22 April 2015, 13:15 CET
The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Gazprom alleging that some of its business practices in Central and Eastern European gas markets constitute an abuse of its dominant market position in breach of EU antitrust rules.

Commission approval for German offshore wind farms 16 April 2015, 15:46 CET
The European Commission has found that German plans to support the building of 20 offshore wind farms are in line with EU state aid rules.

Connecting Europe Facility under way with EUR 100m to connect European energy networks 05 March 2015, 17:41 CET
The European Commission opened calls for proposals on 4 March under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to help finance key trans-European energy infrastructure projects.

Energy Union: old wine in new bottles? 25 February 2015, 18:46 CET
EUROCHAMBRES has mixed feelings about the Energy Union package, published by the European Commission today.

Communication - Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target - helping energy cross borders 25 February 2015, 16:59 CET
Investing in infrastructure that connects countries will make energy flow, improve energy security, lessen dependency on imports and prepare networks for renewable energy. Communication - Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target - Connecting power markets to deliver security of supply, market integration and the large-scale uptake of renewables.

Energy Union: Communication - The Paris Protocol 25 February 2015, 16:54 CET
The EU has the world's most ambitious commitments on climate change and is pushing for a new international climate agreement to be finalised in Paris. Questions and Answers on the European Commission Communication: The Paris Protocol - A blueprint for tackling global climate change beyond 2020

Energy Union Factsheet 25 February 2015, 16:46 CET
The European Commission set out its strategy on 25 February to achieve a resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy.

Commission begins work on Energy Union 06 February 2015, 23:43 CET
The Commission has begun work on an EU Energy Union - seen as a fundamental step towards the completion of single energy market and reforming how Europe produces, transports and consumes energy.

European residential electricity prices increasing faster than prices in United States 18 November 2014, 18:27 CET
European residential electricity prices have historically exceeded U.S. prices, and the gap has widened in recent years. In 2013, average residential electricity rates in European Union (EU) countries were more than double rates in the United States. Regulatory structures—including taxes and other user fees, investment in renewable energy technologies, and the mix and cost of fuels—all influence electricity prices…In 2013, average EU residential prices were 0.20 euro per kilowatthour (euro/kWh), which translates to about 26.57 cents per kilowatt hour (cents/kWh), a 43% increase from the average 2006 price of 18.80 cents/kWh. In that same time, U.S. prices increased only 17%, from 10.40 cents/kWh to 12.12 cents/kWh - Today in Energy brief - posted 18 November 2014 on U.S. Energy Information Administration website

Ukraine - Russia gas deal 31 October 2014, 11:14 CET
A 4.6 billion dollar winter package was agreed at a Ukraine - Russia meeting brokered by the EU on 30 October, which secures gas for Ukraine - and ultimately also for Europe.

Gas Stress Tests 16 October 2014, 15:22 CET
The European Commission today issued a report on the resilience of the European gas system, which looks to answer concerns on possible interruption to Russian gas supplies, whether homes and companies will have the energy they need, and what the EU and Member States can do. The report suggests that more gas will continue to be delivered to homes and companies, if Member States cooperate and allow market forces to work as long as possible. Government intervention should be carefully prepared on a regional basis and only kick in, if needed. And the report includes concrete short-term recommendations for the most vulnerable Member States and neighbouring countries.

EUROfusion - the European Fusion Joint Programme 09 October 2014, 13:44 CET
The European Commission and the European fusion research laboratories launched on 9 October a European joint programme on fusion in Horizon2020 - 'EUROfusion' - that will ensure significant progress along the path towards the realisation of fusion energy. This joint programme has an overall budget of at least EUR 850 million over the period 2014-18, of which about half will come from the Euratom Horizon 2020 fusion energy research programme.

Clean fuels for transport directive 30 September 2014, 15:46 CET
New EU rules were adopted on 29 September to ensure the build-up of alternative refuelling points across Europe with common standards for their design and use, including a common plug for recharging electric vehicles. Member States must set and make public their targets and present their national policy frameworks by end-2016.

Energy Efficiency Communication 23 July 2014, 22:47 CET
New opportunities for European businesses, affordable energy bills for consumers, increased energy security through a significant reduction of natural gas imports and a positive impact on the environment: these are some of the expected benefits of the energy efficiency target for 2030 put forward on 23 July by the European Commission in a Communication. The proposed target of 30% builds on the achievements already reached: new buildings use half the energy they did in the 1980s and industry is about 19% less energy intensive than in 2001.

Amended Nuclear Safety Directive 09 July 2014, 00:20 CET
The EU's Council of Ministers on 8 July adopted a new Nuclear Safety Directive. It provides more power and independence for national regulatory authorities, a high-level EU-wide safety objective, and a European system of peer reviews. It will also introduce periodic national safety assessments and on-site emergency preparedness and response arrangements. In addition, it increases transparency and improve education and training. The 2014 directive amends the one in force since 2009. It provides a stronger framework for EU nuclear safety, as called for by the EU Heads of State or Government following the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima.

NER 300 - funding clean energy projects across Europe 08 July 2014, 16:24 CET
The European Commission has awarded EUR 1 billion funding to 19 projects to fight climate change under the second call of the so-called NER 300 funding programme. The funding for the projects comes from revenues resulting from the sale of emission allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System. This makes the polluters the driving force behind developing new low-carbon initiatives. The funding will be used to demonstrate technologies that will subsequently help to scale-up production from renewable energy sources across the EU as well as those that can remove and store carbon emissions. The projects awarded co-financing today cover a range of technologies − bioenergy, concentrated solar power, geothermal power, photovoltaics, wind power, ocean energy, smart grids and, for the first time, carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Security of energy supply in the EU 29 May 2014, 13:35 CET
The European Commission sets out its reaction to the current geopolitical environment and the EU's import dependence: it advocates a new European Energy Security Strategy. Diversifying external energy supplies, upgrading energy infrastructure, completing the EU internal energy market and saving energy are among its main points. The strategy also highlights the need to coordinate national energy policy decisions and the importance of speaking with one voice when negotiating with external partners. It builds on the progress already achieved since the gas crisis in 2009. The proposals of the Commission, including actions to ensure uninterrupted supplies this winter, will be discussed by EU Heads of State or Government at the European Council on 26-27 June.

Agreement on gas flows from Slovakia to Ukraine 28 April 2014, 17:07 CET
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) enabling gas flows from Slovakia to Ukraine was signed in Bratislava on 28 April 2014. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, attended the ceremony together with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan. The Commission acted as a facilitator in the negotiations that led to the breakthrough. Along with the MoU, the gas pipeline operators concerned – the Slovakian company Eustream and the Ukrainian company Ukrtransgaz – signed a Framework Interconnection Agreement today, laying out the technical details of the foreseen solution.

Energy and Environmental State aid Guidelines 09 April 2014, 21:35 CET
The European Commission has adopted new rules on public support for projects in the field of environmental protection and energy. The guidelines will support Member States in reaching their 2020 climate targets, while addressing the market distortions that may result from subsidies granted to renewable energy sources. To this end, the guidelines promote a gradual move to market-based support for renewable energy. They also provide criteria on how Member States can relieve energy intensive companies that are particularly exposed to international competition from charges levied for the support of renewables. Furthermore, the guidelines include new provisions on aid to energy infrastructure and generation capacity to strengthen the internal energy market and ensure security of supply.

Fear of change could precipitate demise of Europe's energy giants 27 February 2014, 17:16 CET
Europe’s largest power companies are in trouble because of their reluctance to question dated business models in the face of far-reaching structural changes to Europe’s energy market, according to a new report released today.

Europe opens doors to dangerous fracking - FoEE 23 January 2014, 21:46 CET
Europe is opening its doors to dirty and dangerous unconventional fossil fuels, Friends of the Earth Europe and Food & Water Europe said today. The warning comes as the European Commission published a framework to guide member states on how to regulate shale gas which fails to provide mandatory protection for Europe’s citizens against the environmental and health risks of fracking.

Energy 2030 & European Industrial Renaissance: Unilateral climate action contradicts 20 pct industrial target 25 February 2015, 18:28 CET
EUROCHAMBRES is critical of the incoherence between the communications on industrial policy and energy 2030 presented today by the European Commission, arguing that they reveal a lack of governance and coordination between the administration’s services.

EU energy targets slammed - Friends of the Earth 22 January 2014, 18:25 CET
EU plans to tackle climate change by 2030, announced in Brussels today (Wednesday 22 January 2014), have been slammed by Friends of the Earth.