|
News Releases
José Manuel Durao Barroso
No. 12/06
February 9, 2006
EU PRESIDENT JOSÉ MANUEL BARROSO: TIME FOR AN INTEGRATED EUROPEAN ENERGY POLICY
The President of the European Commission,
José Manuel
Barroso, has urged the EU and its Member States to
tackle the problems Europe is facing in the energy
sector together.
Speaking on 9 February at Georgetown University, where
he was receiving an honorary degree, President Barroso
said: "Europe is becoming ever more dependent on oil and
gas imports from geopolitically uncertain regions," and
stressed that: ‘‘Europe is already the largest importer
and second largest consumer of
energy in the world and
it is currently dependent on external sources for 50% of
our energy needs. This could rise to 70% by 2030."
‘‘We have to do something about this, and we have to do
it now," said President Barroso, underlining that:
‘‘the
world has entered a new energy era. We can no longer
take secure and affordable supplies for granted. These
are issues the EU can ill-afford to ignore."
President José Manuel Barroso recalled that the
positions of Member States on this issue have diverged
in the past. "However," he added: "recent events have
done a lot to focus minds, and a quiet revolution has
been taking place: the development of broad support
across Europe for the idea of an, integrated energy
policy."
The European Commission will lead the debate, by
launching a public consultation paper on energy next
month. "Our mantra," said President Barroso,
"must be
ensuring Europe’s competitiveness, safeguarding our
environmental objectives and ensuring our
security of
supply."
The President of the European Commission also called for
the setting up of a "Strategic Energy Dialogue between
the EU and the US...In today’s world, if the energy
security of either one of us is impaired, it affects the
other. I believe this situation calls for a
transformation in our co-operation on energy issues,"
said President Barroso.
"Just as it is ridiculous to have 25 separate energy
policies in the European Union so it would fly in the
face of common sense for the transatlantic partnership
to pull in different directions in this critical area,"
stressed the President of the European Commission.
Further Contact Information
Press and Public Diplomacy
Delegation of the European Commission
2300 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
http://www.eurunion.org/PressRoom
Tel: 202-862-9552
Fax: 202-429-1766
|
