EC energy boss talks efficiency, clean coal with China, US

Brussels (Platts)--2May2005

European Union energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs is discussing energy 
efficiency and clean coal technology in separate bilateral meetings with US 
and Chinese energy ministers in Paris this week, his spokesman said Monday. 
The ministers are among those from the 26 International Energy Agency member 
countries meeting Monday and Tuesday in Paris to discuss energy issues. 

The EC sees energy efficiency and demand-side management as priority areas to
help reduce the EU's ever-increasing dependence on imported oil and gas--and 
protect against the effects of high oil prices which it sees as a continued 
threat to economic growth worldwide, said the spokesman. "Even if oil prices 
have fallen slightly recently, the EC works on the assumption that prices will
continue at a high level," said the spokesman. Piebalgs told ministers at the 
IEA meeting: "We only have a small margin for maneuver as far as supply is 
concerned. As a result, we should strengthen our efforts on the demand side."

Piebalgs is also discussing energy efficiency bilaterally with the Japanese
energy minister in Paris. While the European Commission is promoting energy
efficiency in the 25 EU member states, Japan is taking the lead in promoting
it in Asia, Piebalgs' spokesman said. Piebalgs is expected to present a green
paper on energy efficiency outlining potential measures in the EU before the
summer. The EC sees talks with major energy producers, such as Russia and
OPEC, and with consumer countries, such as the China, India, Japan and the US,
as well as key energy transit countries like Ukraine and Turkey, as a way to
improve its security of supply. Piebalgs is meeting the Turkish energy
minister in Paris to discuss gas transit issues--Turkey is a potential gateway
for the EU to the oil and gas reserves in the Caspian and Middle East regions.
Piebalgs also plans to meet OPEC formally for the first time in Brussels on
June 9.

Piebalgs is also meeting the Swiss energy minister in Paris to discuss how the
Swiss and EU can better coordinate their power markets as Switzerland
participates in the EU internal power market. Switzerland is not a member of
the EU, but its central location means it is an important transit country for
French power exports to other EU members. This importance was highlighted when
a problem in Switzerland caused the September 2003 blackout in Italy. The
blackout revealed the need for better communications and standardized
procedures between EU members and Switzerland to safeguard security of supply.

This story was originally published in Platts European Power Alert
http://www.europeanpoweralert.platts.com

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