Regional collaboration 'key element for Energy union' - Mizzi

Regional collaboration is a key element, particularly in the Mediterranean region which, offers a great potential for the Energy union, in terms of diversification of routes, suppliers and sources. It is commendable that the Commission included an LNG strategy – to be issued next year – and a Euro-Med process  - which was proposed by Malta at the Energy conference held in Malta last July – as key action points for the Energy Union. This was stated by Minister Konrad Mizzi while addressing the TTE (Energy) Council in Brussels.

Minister Mizzi called for the early implementation of the building blocks required to realise the Energy Union. Malta’s Energy Minister highlighted the fact that a pre-requisite to achieve a fully functional EU Energy market, is a well-connected gas and electricity network. In this regard, Minister Mizzi however reiterated the importance of flexibility to reflect Member States’ specificities in terms of renewable energy and efficiency constraints, geophysical limitations, different security concerns, and the need to maintain the current EU law for establishing and deepening relations with third countries.

Described as a key driver for enhanced European integration, the Energy Union project has five mutually-reinforcing and closely interrelated dimensions designed to bring greater energy security, sustainability and competitiveness. A number of key actions are being proposed under each dimension.

It is anticipated that Malta’s Presidency of the EU council in the first half of 2017 will be an essential driver in pushing this legislation forward, in particular with respect to regional cooperation for enhanced energy security with a special focus on the Mediterranean.

Minister Mizzi met his Slovak and Dutch counterparts to further discuss the priorities to be taken on board by the trio during the 18-month Presidency.