EU Energy Council

Andrea Leadsom Excerpts

Friday 20th November 2015 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Andrea Leadsom)]

In advance of the forthcoming Energy Council in Brussels on 26 November, I am writing to outline the agenda items to be discussed.

The Commission plans to hold an orientation debate on new energy market design with the view to adapting the current electricity market design rules to new challenges. The Commission has suggested questions to frame the debate which will focus on two of its recent communications; on the public consultation process on new energy market design, and delivering a new deal for energy consumers. The UK will welcome the Commission’s communications since the efficient delivery of our ambitious decarbonisation objectives requires modernisation of our electricity markets, while stressing the importance of maintaining an appropriate balance of competence between the Commission and member states.

The Council is then expected to agree to adopt the ‘general approach’ on proposals on energy efficiency labelling with the objective of setting a revised and improved legal framework for the energy efficiency labelling of energy-related products. The proposal retains the main principles of the current legislative framework but further clarifies, strengthens and extends the scope of the current rules and features the move to an ‘A-G’ scale for energy efficiency labelling and the introduction of a product database. The UK supports the rescaling of labels on an A-G scale to increase consumer understanding thus resulting in greater energy efficiency and also the introduction of a product database to facilitate better market surveillance.

The Council will later agree to adopt Council conclusions on the governance framework for the energy union, the draft version of which was agreed by senior officials earlier in November. In October 2014 the European Council agreed that a reliable and transparent governance system would be developed to help ensure that the EU meets its energy policy goals. The framework will underpin the implementation of long term energy goals including the 2030 targets. The UK welcomes the conclusions which recognise that any governance framework must be flexible, and balance the need for EU frameworks on issues such as market integration and emissions reduction, with national flexibility to choose the best and most cost effective way to meet greenhouse gas targets.

Vice-President Sefcovic will present on behalf of the European Commission the first ‘State of the Energy Union’ report which will be published on 18 November. This report reflects on action taken over the course of this year to implement the energy union and looks forward to the proposals that will come forward over the next 12 months.

Over lunch Commissioner Arias Canete will provide an update to Ministers ahead of the UNFCCC negotiations in Paris (COP21). In the afternoon the Council will provide further updates on developments relating to international relations in the field of energy. Items will include Ukraine/Russia/EU trilateral, the Energy Community and Energy Charter Treaty, the International Energy Agency, the strategic group for international energy co-operation and EU-MED energy co-operation.

Finally the incoming Dutch presidency will provide information on their expected programme of work.

[HCWS319]