Extraordinary Energy Council
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Chris Huhne)
I was unable to attend the Council because of Cabinet business in London. Andy Lebrecht, Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU, represented the UK at the Council.
The extraordinary Energy Council began with a report by the Energy Commissioner of the impact of events in north Africa and Japan on the EU’s energy market. Although there had been no significant impact on supplies as a result of events in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, there had been an impact on prices. The EU had 120 days of oil supply. Saudi Arabia and Russia had undertaken to cover any shortfalls in gas and oil supplies. There was general agreement that oil and gas markets were functioning well and that it was important to take a calm approach to reassure the market. The Council concluded that although there was no immediate problem with energy supply, the EU should take measures to increase its ability to deal with problems in the future, in line with the priorities agreed at the European Energy Council on 4 February.
The Commissioner then reported on the situation in Japan; and on the role of nuclear in the energy mix of the EU. He noted the right of member states to decide upon their own energy mix and that nuclear would continue to play a large role in the EU for the foreseeable future. He proposed that member states should work together to develop and approve an EU safety check for nuclear power plants. The UK agreed on the importance of a measured response based on the evidence and on lessons learned from the events in Japan. Most member states supported this position.
The Council concluded that the EU response to the situation in Japan should involve comprehensive risk and safety assessments (“stress tests”) of nuclear power plants in Europe with full involvement of member states in determining how this should be done. EU neighbouring countries should also be involved in the assessment, as well as international bodies such as the G20 and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The EU should maintain high standards of nuclear safety, with a continual process of improvement. The Council agreed that communication with the public on these issues should be open and transparent.