Highlights

© Tanja Bagusat, Fotolia

At the Energy Council on 28 February, ministers defined EU energy priorities for 2011-2020. The aim is to ensure sustainable, secure and affordable energy for all Europeans.

"We are on the right track to finalise our political views and to implement all those decisions that were made during the February 4th European Council meeting concerning the internal market development by 2014 and the no-island policy by 2015," said Tamás Fellegi, Hungarian Minister for National Development, who chaired the Council meeting.

The leaders of all member states agreed in February that the internal energy market should be completed by 2014. They also stressed the need to update and expand energy infrastructure, so that by 2015 every single member state was connected to the European networks. Building on these conclusions and on the Commission's Communication on the Energy Strategy, the ministers set out a series of detailed orientations.

In addition to the internal energy market and infrastructure, these orientations cover energy efficiency, research and innovation in low-carbon energy technology, indigenous energy sources and production, external energy relations and long-term perspectives.

On the basis of the ministers' conclusions, the Commission will come up with further proposals, especially on infrastructure and energy efficiency. Discussion on energy efficiency is to continue at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 10 June.

More information:
Council conclusions (pdf)
Press release (pdf)
Press conference webcast
European Council conclusions (4 February 2011, pdf)