Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-21-Speech-2-009"
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"en.20100921.3.2-009"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, gas plays an important role in our energy policy and the strategy for this area is clear. Firstly, we need an efficient European legal framework to ensure the security of the gas supply. Secondly, we should be diversifying our sources and routes of supply for imported gas. We also need to develop further and consolidate the necessary infrastructure and to take a common approach on European interests when dealing with our energy partners and the transit countries. All of this must be based on a well-functioning internal market.
The gas crisis in January of last year and the developments which took place in June between Moscow and Minsk confirmed that we are on the right track with our gas strategy. For this reason, I am grateful that the negotiations in Parliament and with the Member States on the basis of the Commission proposal were brought to a constructive conclusion in the space of only a year. This is good news for the business community and for the citizens of the European Union. I would like to thank, in particular, the European Parliament and also Mr Vidal-Quadras for showing commitment to this issue. You were certain of the results that could be achieved and have brought the process to a convincing conclusion. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Member States for their readiness to give up some of their powers and become part of a European framework.
This draft regulation is the very first piece of legislation based on the comprehensive article on energy in the new Treaty of Lisbon. You are entering new territory and making use of your newly acquired, comprehensive powers. No one can guarantee that there will be no interruptions to the gas supply. This makes it all the more important for us to take the necessary precautions. We believe that close cooperation with the Member States on the subject of gas is more essential than ever. We are currently advising Poland to ensure, right from the outset, that its new gas supply contract with Russia is compatible with European law and does not require formal breach of contract procedures.
We welcome the call from this House for a common European approach, faster preventive action, new technical options, such as reverse flow capacity, the expansion of the infrastructure and a common European external energy policy. We also support Parliament’s proposal to monitor and establish an internal market. The mandatory minimum standards for every private household are an indication of solidarity and of the responsibility which Europe assumes as regards its citizens. Right across Europe, there will be mandatory storage of 30 days’ supply in the case of extreme conditions, for example, infrastructure failure, temperature variations or peaks in demand. Thirty days’ worth of security is not a true safety net, but it forms a foundation on which we can approach the winter and possible future crises with greater confidence.
We should increasingly be speaking with one voice, building up our position internally, as we are doing now, and presenting a united front to the outside world.
Many of the measures which form part of the regulation have already been implemented, including those relating to the gas infrastructure and the reverse flow capacity. We are currently providing support for 31 projects in the field of gas using money allocated by Parliament. A total of EUR 1.4 billion is helping to release a variety of public and private funding. In recent months, we have achieved a great deal of what the regulation is aiming to implement. However, much still remains to be done. I am sure that this regulation will not be the last word on the subject. Therefore, I am interested in seeing an interim review and possibly the continuation of this regulation and the fine-tuning and expansion of the corresponding plans in two to three years.
We would like the regulation to be applied quickly after it is adopted. The Commission wants to take action at an early stage in order to ensure that we have a common approach to our external energy relationships. The gas coordination group, which is led by the Commission and meets every month, will have a stronger role to play as a result of the regulation. We welcome the fact that there will be cooperation not only at a European level, but also at a regional level. One example of this is the pilot project involving the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as part of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP). In brief, we need regional solutions within the overall European dimension.
I can assure you that the Commission wants to see a wide-ranging debate on infrastructure. The infrastructure package which we intend to present to you in November represents the right opportunity for this, along with the next financing period."@en1
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