Tuesday 9 December 1997 EU energy ministers agree Altener II funds EU energy ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday agreed Ecu22m funding for the first two years of the Altener II renewable energy support scheme, which is due to run for five years from January 1998. This is over a quarter less than the Ecu30m proposed by the European Commission in March, but still represents a substantial increase over the total Ecu40m budget of the five-year Altener I programme, which expires at the end of December. The Commission greeted lower funding for the scheme with disappointment.
Environmental groups are even more unhappy with the decision.
In a statement released just before the Energy Council, Climate Network Europe described the Commission's Ecu30m proposal as encouraging but still not enough. According to a national official, no formal discussion took place, as the white paper has not yet been translated into the EU' s 11 formal languages. It is, however, expected to be adopted by ministers next spring under the UK presidency. One national official told ENDS Daily said that the UK presidency was expected to give the white paper a very high priority, which corresponds with EU energy commissioner Christos Papoutsis' strong wish to obtain the necessary ministerial approval as soon as possible. Energy ministers also reached a common position on a Commission proposals for a directive to liberalise the EU natural gas market.