The longer-term strategy is far more open and will need additional analysis. Member state governments as well as the EU will need to meet the challenge to adapt the EU energy portfolio to greenhouse gas constraints while ensuring security of supply, competitiveness and equity objectives. Meeting the Kyoto commitments are challenging for the energy and electricity sector, given that at least in the short-term fossil fuels will continue to play a major role. A considerable smaller role for nuclear would make the short-term challenge even greater. For the long-term, policy choices exist.
Disagreement exists regarding the future of coal and nuclear.
Coal is responsible for considerable greenhouse gas emissions but is a widely available primary energy source and therefore is advantageous with regard to security of supply. Nuclear mainly faces acceptance problems. Governments will have to make choices concerning the extent to which they want to rely on coal and also nuclear in the future. Carbon constraints are not the only objective that must be accommodated by EU energy policy. Climate change policy should be made compatible with other concerns, such as security of supply, competitiveness or equity.