標題:EU unveils plan to reduce Russia’s grip on energy By Joshua Chaffin in Brussels Published: November 13 2008 15:51 | Last updated: November 13 2008 15:51 The European Commission on Thursday proposed building new pipelines to the Caspian region as the centrepiece of an energy security plan that seeks to reduce member states’ reliance on Russia. The proposals, released on the eve of Friday’s EU-Russia summit in France, envisage a corridor of pipelines that would carry gas from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan into the EU, and the possible creation of a European consortium to purchase gas from the region. The EU’s second strategic energy review also calls for redoubled efforts to make buildings more energy efficient, the bolstering of emergency oil stocks, and enhanced energy links from the Baltics to the Mediterranean. Jose Manuel Barroso, the Commission president, urged member states not to “ sleepwalk into Europe’s energy security crisis” by failing to take urgent action to improve efficiency and reduce imports. Mr Barroso denied the proposals were aimed at Russia, which supplies 42 per cent of Europe’s imported gas. “When it comes to energy security, our policy is not directed against any single country. It’s just a matter of being cautious,” he said, characterising the EU’s energy relationship with Russia as one of “positive inter-dependence.” The strategic energy review comes at a delicate moment as the EU will on Friday try to restart talks with Russia over economic and energy agreements that were cancelled in the wake of its invasion of Georgia in August. In addition to highlighting simmering tensions with Russia, which has cut gas supplies to the EU in the past, the package also comes against the backdrop of rising energy prices, and squabbling over an ambitious climate package that would force member states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. Andris Piebalgs, European energy commissioner, argued on Thursday that those goals were inter-connected. “The biggest source of energy security is really investments in energy efficiency.” The Commission acknowledged that efforts to improve efficiency were falling short, and proposed eliminating the 1,000 sq m threshold for directives governing commercial and residential buildings, which account for about 40 per cent of energy consumption. Those measures would result in an estimated €8bn ($10bn) in additional annual costs for home renovations, but could generate €25bn in annual energy savings of 25bn by 2020, according to the Commission. “The building sector has enormous potential for cost savings,” said one official, citing the need for improved labelling and consumer education. The Commission argued that such programmes could add as many as 450,000 jobs to a beleaguered building industry through increased construction activity and new demand for officials to inspect boilers and other installations. It is also seeking to improve efficiency by proposing new labelling standards for tyres, and to expand consumer appliance energy ratings to a host of industrial products. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c0551926-b197-11dd-b97a-0000779fd18c.html 新聞來源: (需有正確連結) -- --

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