The
International Network
for Sustainable Energy
  |
EU ENERGY STRATEGY 2010 - 2020 |
Updated: November 2010
ENERGY 2020
On
November 10, 2010, the European Commission has adopted the Communication "Energy
2020 - A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy".
The Communication defines the energy priorities for the next ten years and
sets the actions to be taken in order to tackle the challenges of saving
energy, achieving a market with competitive prizes and secure supplies, boosting
technological
leadership, and effectively negotiate with our international partners.
While
the topics of the new EU energy cooperation are still an open question,
current proposals include:
• internal energy markets (reinforcing
regulation to increase competition,
consumer protection and increase of
security of supply),
• infrastructure (gas pipelines and interconnectors
between national electricity
and gas networks, simplified procedures
for permissions, financing),
• energy efficiency, which could include
strengthening Ecodesign regulation,
financing, and revisions of the Energy
service and CHP directives,
• nuclear safety and waste management,
and
• external energy policy, including relations
with major energy suppliers and
with major energy users.
Read
the INFORSE-Europe Press Release 
(pdf
53.8 kB) (November
11, 2010)
Read more about the topic on the European Commission website.
Download the document "Energy
2020 - A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy" here (pdf
86kB).
Will EU go for 30% Reduction by 2020?
Given the standstill in the climate negotiations, there is increasing support for the proposal that the EU should move to 30% reductions by 2020 without a global climate agreement. This past summer, the environmental ministers of France, Germany and UK expressed their support for the idea, and at the end of September the Danish Prime Minister also supported it on behalf of his government. On the other hand, Poland has been vehemently against the proposal. At the EU Environmental Ministers’ Meeting in October, no decision was taken, but the Ministers agreed to consider the proposal again in 2011.