Tag: energy

In this analysis, Eric Bonneville and Anne Rialhe (from the French energy company AERE) focus on demand side management to cut electricity consumption by residential and commercial end users.

A suggestion by the Eurogroup Chairman and Luxembourg Prime Minister to tax the unexpected profits oil companies make from surging oil prices has found modest support at a meeting of EU finance ministers.

Concerns about Russia dominated an energy security debate amongst influential American and EU politicians and business leaders during the first annual Brussels Forum on 30 April.

During a press conference in the Parliament on 26 April, former farm commissioner Franz Fischler criticised the EU's energy green paper for not going far enough and urged the Commission to invest more in renewable energies in general and biomass in particular.

National energy regulators have unveiled an initiative to create four regional markets as a first stepping stone towards a single EU gas market. 

The EU antitrust regulator gave its go ahead to E.ON's €29.1 billion bid for Endesa, upping the pressure on Spanish authorities not to block the German utility's bid.

Researchers at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) look at worldwide liberalisation initiatives in the electricity industry and comparatively assess the potential for further development of the European Internal Electricity Market (IEM).

Pierre Radanne, the former head of the French environment and energy agency (ADEME), has strongly criticised the lack of cooperation from key ministries on climate change policy. 

EU car manufacturers sold cars that produce on average 160 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2005, down only 1% on the previous year, according to green NGO Transport and Environment (T&E)

During its EU Presidency, in the first half of 2007, Germany will make an effort of reviving the EU constitution, the country's press reports.

The 2004 Directive on cogeneration urges EU member states to exploit their potential for combined production of heat and electricity (cogeneration). Eckhard Schulze (Energie-Fakten) explains the pros and cons of this energy-saving technique, and casts light on its most meaningful applications and most promising prospects.

The main challenge for future provision of electricity in Europe will be to adapt the current network of large carbon-based centralised generators to welcome new, smaller-scale, local, renewable power sources.

The European Commission has taken legal action against 17 member states for dragging their feet in applying EU electricity and gas market liberalisation legislation into national law.

The new issue of the quarterly review Regards croisés on arte-tv.com is fully dedicated to the energy issue.

As oil prices reach record levels, the EU is pressing member states to meet their target of increasing their share of biofuels to 5.75% of overall fuel consumption by 2010. The renowned French Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) assesses the economic impact of this scenario for France. It concludes that the advantages of first-generation biofuels are not sufficient to replace petroleum in sufficiently large quantities.

Shortly after the 2006 European Spring Summit, which focused on energy policy and only days before a German national summit on energy policy, industry is pressurising Chancellor Angela Merkel to water down the previous red-green government's policy of phasing out of nuclear energy.

Brussels stakeholders are generally encouraged by EU heads of states' endorsement of a new energy policy for Europe but guard against optimism, saying political actions must now follow.

In a letter to the Financial Times, Loyola de Palacio (together with other former energy Commissioners and European energy regulators) says the EU needs "better energy," not just "more energy." She has ten suggestions to improve the EU internal energy market.

On the eve of an EU summit dominated by energy issues and controversial mergers, competition commissioner Neelie Kroes warns of "further measures" if energy liberalisation if not fully followed through.

Well-functioning and transparent energy markets are the best way to diversify EU energy supplies, Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told EurActiv on the eve of a Spring European Summit dominated by energy issues – and controversial mergers.

This task force report from the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) looks into issues related to the second phase of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS:2008-2012) as member states prepare to hand in their National Action Plans for 30 June.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso came back from a visit to Russia this weekend with no tangible progress on the 'special relationship' he intends to foster with Moscow on energy.

This discussion paper, known as the "Stern Review", written by Sir Nick Stern of the UK's HM Treasury, discusses the long term economic challenges posed by climate change, warning that global warming itself may impede global economic growth.

The R&D aspect of energy policy is becoming a hot political topic as EU leaders prepare to agree on a common energy policy later this month.