Energy Council - 3 December 1996
The Council of Energy Ministers of the European Union met in Brussels on 3 December 1996. The Ministers held discussions on a number of subjects, including the internal market in gas and the SYNERGY and SAVE II programmes. As regards the Commission's proposal for common rules for the internal market in gas, the Council adopted conclusions which confirm the need to open up this internal market. This follows the Council's adoption, in June 1996, of a common position on the internal market in electricity. Although the Council was not ready to adopt a common position on the gas proposal, it now seems likely that this will be reached during the Dutch Presidency in the first half of 1997. Ministers held a public debate on renewable sources of energy, on the basis of the Commission's recent Green Paper. They agreed on the importance of developing a renewable energy strategy and there was broad consensus on the role that RTD can play in increasing the market penetration of renewable energy sources. The proposed extension of the SYNERGY programme for international cooperation in the energy sector, and the second phase of the SAVE programme for the promotion of energy efficiency, were both briefly discussed. The Council referred these back to the Committee of Permanent Representatives who should complete the preparatory work with a view to adoption by the Council in the near future. The Council also adopted conclusions on the oil supply situation of the Community and on the energy dimension in climate change. Political agreement on the conclusion, on behalf of the Community, of the Energy Charter Treaty was reached in the Council. This will be formally concluded following the assent of the European Parliament.