FINLAND: The European Commission approved a plan to cut EU energy use by 20 percent by 2020

Record ID: 1531551

  • Title: FINLAND: The European Commission approved a plan to cut EU energy use by 20 percent by 2020
  • Date: 20th October 2006
  • Summary: (BN15) HELSINKI, FINLAND (OCTOBER 19, 2006) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF HOTEL KEMP, VENUE OF EPP SUMMIT LOGO OF EPP, EUROPEAN PEOPLE'S PARTY SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER JANEZ JANSA ARRIVING VARIOUS OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT, MANUEL BARROSO ARRIVING AUSTRIAN PRIME MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHUSSEL ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE)(English) AUSTRIAN PRIME MINISTER WOLFGANG SAYING: "We are not a front state. We are friends and partners and I think we have to speak with one voice, that is important." CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER IVO SANADER ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE)(English) CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER IVO SANADER SAYING: "I think that the EU has an interest to have a partnership with Russia but first of all based on a transatlantic partnership, UN and the US first, and then also a partnership with Russia." VARIOUS OF EPP ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
  • Embargoed: 4th November 2006 02:36
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Finland
  • Country: Finland
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVACS6COI44BUTSGH9LPY8JEV7OY
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: The European Commission approved a plan to cut EU energy use by 20 percent by 2020 on Thursday (October 20, 2006) a day before European leaders raise their concerns about oil and gas supplies with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
    The plan for more efficiency in buildings, cars, power generators and appliances comes as EU doubts have grown about the reliability of Russian supplies.
    Energy will be a hot topic when EU leaders meet Putin in the Finnish town of Lahti. They will be seeking guarantees of fair treatment in the sector, as well as voicing concerns on human rights, democracy and the treatment of Georgia, but are likely to be disappointed.
    In Moscow on Thursday, a senior Kremlin aide reiterated Russian objections to ratifying an energy charter the EU wants to see governing the industry across the Eurasian continent.
    Moscow has refused to ratify the charter as it opposes a protocol which would oblige Russia to open up gas monopoly Gazprom's export pipeline network to other companies.
    The EU is largely dependent on foreign energy, a concern for the bloc's leaders who are trying to secure supplies while demand in developing states such as India and China skyrockets.
    Moreover some fear the close bilateral energy ties that a number of European states are fostering with Russia will prevent the bloc from showing a common front to Putin.
    "We shouldn't give Mr Putin the impression of a Europe that is hugely divided. We are very good at doing this but for once we should avoid it," Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters in Helsinki at a pre-summit meeting.
    Russia supplies a quarter of Europe's gas and EU states worry it uses its energy resources as a political weapon.
    They were alarmed last winter by disruption of supplies in a pricing row between Russia and Ukraine, and have also been upset by a move by Gazprom this month to close the giant new Shtokman gas field to foreign partners.
    Russia has rebuffed EU pressure on the energy charter. But EU president Finland said on Wednesday it hoped to launch talks on a new pact on energy, trade and human rights later this year.
    EU leaders are expected to raise concerns about rights with Putin, including the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and Moscow's treatment of Georgians after a fierce row between the former Soviet states.
    European Commission President Jose Barroso told reporters in Helsinki the EU would raise all those issues and deliver Putin a "message of constructive engagement, a positive one."
    The energy saving plan unveiled on Thursday needs to be approved by EU states and will be introduced over six years. It was a response to an urgent call by EU leaders this year as concerns about security of supply grew.
    It says the cost of EU energy consumption could be reduced by more than 100 billion euros a year ($125 billion) by 2020 and CO2 emissions cut by 780 millions tonnes annually.
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