First EU summit on energy issues

European leaders defined basics for future EU-energy policy

The European Union’s first summit on energy has got under way in Brussels with focus on EU energy strategy until the year 2020. Furthermore the energy infrastructure development and the common energy foreign policy, including relations with Russia and Central Asian nations, were discussed issues.

“Safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy contributing to European competitiveness remains a priority for Europe”, states the resolution. Furthermore it points out that the EU needs a fully functioning, interconnected and integrated internal energy market.

EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger and foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton wanted to give EU leaders a stronger mandate for pursuing energy goals when dealing with Russia, Turkey, central Asia and north Africa.

In a draft resolution EU leaders invited the Commission to: "submit by June 2011 a communication on security of supply and international cooperation aimed at further improving the consistency and coherence of the EU's external action in the field of energy."

"Work should be taken forward as early as possible to develop a reliable transparent and rules-based partnership with Russia in areas of common interest in the field of energy," the resolution adds.