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Minister Rabbitte - "The outcome of today’s deliberations have provided added impetus to our efforts to achieve effective implementation of real and lasting benefits to our citizens as energy consumers"

There was substantive discussion among Ministers attending today’s Energy Council on two key energy papers:  the Communication on the Internal Energy Market, and the ‘ILUC’ proposal for a Directive amending the Directives on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and on fuel quality.

The Council held a policy debate on the Communication on the Internal Energy Market, on the basis of questions put by the Irish Presidency to member states prior to the meeting on two key issues: the completion of the internal energy market and consumers. A summary of  the debate will now be forwarded by the Presidency to the President of the European Council as part of the preparation of the European Council to be held on 22 May, which will focus on energy matters. It is also intended that the input from today’s debate will be used in the preparation of draft Council conclusions to be finalised at the second Energy Council under the Irish Presidency to be held in Luxembourg on 7 June.

Speaking in Brussels today, the Irish Minister for Energy, Pat Rabbitte, who chaired the Council meeting said:

‘The completion of the internal energy market, a goal set by the European Council in February 2011, is our most urgent objective.  The outcome of today’s deliberations have provided added impetus to our efforts to achieve effective implementation of real and lasting benefits to our citizens as energy consumers. The five hundred million citizens of the EU who are consumers (and in some cases, producers) of energy are at the heart of our drive to complete the internal energy market. There is an urgency to ensuring that they realise the full benefits of the internal energy market, and that they play an increasingly active role and become a driving force in the market, in the realisation of that objective. I welcome the extremely constructive debate held here today and believe we can build on this progress by agreeing conclusions at the June Council that will redouble our efforts to complete the internal market for energy”.

An orientation debate was also held on the ILUC proposal on the basis of the two questions tabled by the Presidency, one based on identifying strengths and challenges contained in the proposal, and the other providing an opportunity to view the proposal from both the energy and climate change policy perspectives and setting it in the broader context of energy policy objectives including the existing 2020 targets for renewables, competitiveness, and security of supply. The Environment Council will hold an orientation debate on this file on the basis of the same questions on 21 March.

Minister Rabbitte also said:

‘I welcome the outcome of today’s debate on the Commission’s proposal to address the issues of indirect land-use change associated with the production of certain biofuels. There was a broad spectrum of views and positions articulated during the debate which addressed issues pertaining to enterprise, energy and climate change policy. However, there was a broad consensus among Ministers that the possible negative impacts of indirect land-use change need to be tackled. The discussion underlines the complexity of the proposal but also show that there is a shared view on the need to adequately address environmental concerns. Energy Ministers have highlighted today the issues that need to be resolved and our deliberations will act as a guide during future discussions on the proposed Directive’.