| Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management: Karla Peijs | | Minister of Economic Affairs: Laurens Jan Brinkhorst | | State Secretary for Transport, Public Works and Water Management: Melanie Schultz van Haegen |
During the Dutch presidency, the following Councils will meet to discuss this policy area:
- 09-07-2004 t/m 10-07-2004 - Amsterdam - The Netherlands - 07-10-2004 - Luxembourg - Luxembourg - 19-11-2004 t/m 20-11-2004 - Rotterdam - The Netherlands - 29-11-2004 - Brussels - Belgium - 09-12-2004 t/m 10-12-2004 - Brussels - Belgium Click here for a full list of upcoming meetings The Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meets six to eight times a year. In addition, it also holds informal meetings. About Transport, Telecommunications and Energy The transport industry occupies an important position in the European Union, accounting for 7% of its gross national product (GNP), 7% of total employment, 40% of Member States’ investment and 30% of energy consumption. Transport demand within the Community has grown more or less continuously for the last 20 years (by 3% a year for goods and 2% for passengers). A common transport policy was one of the obligations laid down in the EEC Treaty. However, it was not until a case was brought before the ECJ in 1985 that the Council actually took measures to achieve free movement of services in the transport industry. Efforts to liberalise the industry started in 1988. In a communication of December 1998, the Commission supplemented the above-mentioned objectives for the transport industry with the following: improving the functioning of the internal market, setting up trans-European networks and connecting the infrastructure of the candidate countries to the transport systems within the Community. The Commission wishes to encourage public-private cooperation in relation to trans-European networks. In September 2001, the Commission presented its White Paper ‘European Transport Policy for 2010: Time to Decide’, in which it proposed 60 measures designed to stimulate the development of transport and guarantee efficiency, quality and safety. The Commission devoted particular attention to promoting alternatives to road transport, such as short sea shipping, inland waterway shipping and rail transport. The Galileo project, a global satellite navigation system that is meant to become the industry standard in the 21st century, will also be accelerated. Telecommunications As of 1 January 1998, the telecommunications market has been completely liberalised. In the long term, the European Union’s aim is to establish a pan-European digital network for the rapid exchange of sound, images and data between governments, companies and individuals. In February 1997, 68 countries signed the WTO telecommunications agreement, which is meant to reduce the cost of telephony. The agreement, which came into force in 1998, provided, among other things, that:
- the United States, Japan and the European Union would be completely open to domestic and international competition from 1998 onwards; - transition periods would apply in relation to Spain (until December 1998), Ireland (until 2000) and Portugal and Greece (both until 2005); - different transition periods would apply in relation to Central and Eastern European countries, from 2000 (Czech Republic) until 2005 (Bulgaria). Services covered by the agreement include: international and national telephone services, fax and data transmission, satellite communications, mobile telephony and paging services. In July 2000, the Commission presented proposals to reform existing legislation in the field of telecommunications. In February 2002, a package of directives was adopted. This was especially good for consumers, who now pay less and receive better quality and value for money. The directives established rules concerning the universal availability of telecoms services, the granting of licences and access for telecommunications companies to existing physical communications networks so that they can connect to their customers freely and directly. Energy policy National energy policy varies greatly among the EU member states. France and Finland, for instance, rely on nuclear energy; Italy depends almost entirely on imports; the Netherlands exports a large amount of natural gas; and Denmark has a well developed wind energy industry. Despite these differences, people in all the member states are aware that energy is a crucially important resource, in which our modern societies have a shared interest. Without energy, our society and economy could - literally - come to a standstill. Just as water is essential for human beings to live, so energy is essential for modern society to function. The EU is focusing attention on the many facets of guaranteeing a sufficient energy supply that is sustainable and continuous. The EU is also introducing an open market for energy, as part of the internal market. On 1 July 2004, the energy market was liberalised for business users. In 2007, it will be liberalised for all users. The member states have already adopted the directives that pave the way for this step, such as revised directives on gas and electricity and another on energy tax. The principle underlying liberalisation is that the boundaries of competition are at the point where the security of energy supply becomes endangered. Energy supply security will always be an important theme in Europe, certainly in a liberalised energy market. In September 2002, the Commission adopted a package of communications, directives, and decisions; and the body of policy on supply security is still growing. For example, measures were proposed in December 2003 for ensuring the security of electricity supply and strengthening the energy infrastructure. These measures consist of: - a Commission proposal on conditions for access to gas transmission networks, on which the Council agreed in June 2004; - a decision to draw up guidelines for Trans-European Networks (TENs) in the energy industry and an amendment to the existing directive on TENs in response to the accession of the new member states. The June 2004 Council agreed on an overall approach to the TEN decision; - a draft directive for guaranteeing the continuity of electricity supply and infrastructural investment. This directive would oblige the member states to define the responsibilities of electricity suppliers and network managers in the area of energy supply security. Member states must also comply with existing EU commitments on networks. The Dutch presidency has made it a priority to reach political agreement on this directive at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council to be held on 29 November 2004. It is also possible to make energy supply and delivery more secure by encouraging innovation, especially by comparing experiences and opportunities in the transport, telecommunications, and energy network sectors. The theme is thus receiving considerable attention at EU level. During its presidency, the Netherlands will organise an informal Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council in Rotterdam on 19 and 20 November 2004 to discuss innovation in the network sectors. In its Green Paper entitled “Towards a European Strategy for the Security of Energy Supply” (November 2000), the Commission pointed out the importance of saving energy - still crucial if the EU is to be independent of outside energy sources and tackle the problem of climate change. Important commitments in this connection are: - the political agreement reached by the Council in June 2004 on a framework directive concerning ecologically-sound energy-consuming products (ECO design), signifying a step towards more environmentally-friendly, energy-saving product cycles. The directive aims to ensure that environmental considerations are addressed at the earliest possible stage of product development. The Netherlands hopes to achieve final agreement on this directive during its presidency, in consultation with the European Parliament; - the proposal, presented by the Commission in December 2003, for a directive on energy efficiency among end users and energy services. This directive aims to increase energy efficiency among end users by promoting market forces in energy services and introducing measures for energy efficiency in general (setting energy-saving targets and allowing the creation of funds for subsidising energy efficiency programmes and measures). In the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council of 29 November, the Netherlands wants to conduct a political debate on the main points of this important draft directive. The Dutch presidency is also making the promotion of sustainable energy a prominent theme. In June 2004, the European Commission issued a communication on renewable energy, including an analysis of whether the EU is on schedule for fulfilling its ambitious targets for sustainable energy in 2010 - targets it drew up in 2001. On 29 November, the Dutch presidency wants the Energy Council to adopt conclusions on this communication. The Council needs to discuss whether extra measures will be necessary to achieve these targets. The Commission has put forward proposals for an international action plan for biomass and for further encouraging R&D. In addition, the next few presidencies will focus ample attention on the potential for more structural development, cooperation, and information exchange in the EU concerning sustainable energy. The Dutch presidency will concentrate especially on wind energy at sea (at the high level workshop in Egmond on 30 September and 1 October) and on biofuels (at the high level conference on energy in motion in Amsterdam on 19 and 20 October). In December 2003, as part of the discussions on supply security, the Council adopted conclusions on cooperation with neighbouring countries in the areas of energy, energy transport, and the energy market. Items for special attention in relation to closer cooperation with countries bordering on the EU are energy infrastructure and policy, Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, policy on expanding the internal energy market to southeast Europe, and the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. The Dutch presidency will focus special attention on the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. The EU-Russia Summit takes place in November 2004. Given this dialogue’s strategic importance for supply security, the Dutch presidency will try to infuse it with new energy. The Summit’s main themes will be the security of gas supply, long-term contracts, and interconnection or integration of the Russian energy market with that of the EU. |