Tomorrow the EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs will present the “eagerly-awaited” Green Paper on Energy Policy, where he will outline a common European response to issues such as energy security and climate change. A draft outlines five strategic goals that the paper will address:
- to speak with one voice on strategic energy issues;
- to diversify the mix of primary energy resources;
- to become the world’s most energy-efficient region;
- to become the world leader in low carbon energy research and development;
- to complete the internal energy market by 2007.
That all sounds great until you start examining the actual likelihood of different EU states joining together to promote a collective energy policy. Most commentators believe it will result in endless bickering by the bureaucrats in Brussels. You never know, they could be proved wrong.