COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 17 September 1974 concerning a new energy policy strategy for the Community

THE COUNCIL,

Having taken note of the communication from the Commission of 5 June 1974, "Towards a new energy policy strategy for the Community" [R/1472/74 (ENER 28)]: 1. Recognizes that this communication is part of the process of formulating a Community energy policy designed - as was emphasized by the Heads of State or of Government in October 1972 in Paris - to guarantee "safe and lasting supplies under satisfactory economic conditions";

2. Emphasizes - as was acknowledged by the Heads of State or of Government in December 1973 in Copenhagen - that there is an urgent need for a Community energy policy due to the new factors obtaining on the world energy market;

3. Affirms its political will to draw up and implement a Community energy policy. This means preparing joint target figures constituting guidelines for national policies and, at the same time, major indicators for Community energy producers and consumers;

4. Emphasizes that this Community energy policy implies close coordination of the positions of the Member States of the Community which will enable it progressively to express a common viewpoint on energy problems vis-à-vis the outside world;

5. Confirms that the world-wide aspects of energy problems necessitate cooperation among the consumer countries and between them and producer countries, in which the Community as such and the Member States intend to participate;

6. Adopts the following guidelines: (a) as regards energy demand : reduction of the rate of growth of internal consumption by measures for using energy rationally and economically without jeopardizing social and economic growth objectives;

(b) as regards energy supply : improving security, under the most satisfactory economic conditions possible, by means of the following: - development of nuclear power production (1),

- the hydrocarbon and solid fuel resources in the Community,

- diversified and reliable external supplies,

- a research and technological development effort ensuring the required development of the various energy sources; (1) Reference to the reservation expressed by the Danish and Netherlands delegations with regard to this indent has been made in the Council minutes.

(c) consideration should be given to problems of environmental protection, in particular by respecting the guidelines laid down in the relevant national or Community programmes, in the spheres of both production and consumption of energy;

7. Decides to hold a meeting on energy problems before the end of 1974 at which it will state its position on: - the target figures for Community energy production and consumption until 1985,

- the guidelines and action necessary to develop each energy source and the conditions for orderly functioning of the common market for energy.

To this end, the Council requests the Permanent Representatives Committee, after due consideration of the opinions of the Energy Committee, to prepare for Council discussion of these two series of questions, inter alia by examining, in the light of the prospects for the Member States in this field, the consistency and feasibility of the target figures proposed by the Commission, and also their financial and budgetary implications;

8. Agrees to examine, also before the end of 1974, the steps which the Community could take in order to ensure the development of new technologies in the field of energy;

9. Requests that the Member States take account of the Community target figures to be adopted by the Council when defining their national supply policy;

10. Instructs the Energy Committee to review regularly the Community target figures adopted and national prospects, in order to check their consistency and feasibility. The Commission will report every six months and the Council will periodically discuss the progress made in the realization of the Community objectives, and in particular the measures taken at Community and national level.