EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/443

(2004/C 78 E/0465)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2959/03

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Risks of electricity blackouts

On Thursday, 28 August 2003, parts of southern London were hit by an electricity blackout thanks to which some 250 000 people were immobilised in trains, on the underground, in lifts and at crossroads. A spokesman for the management of National Grid, the British electricity distribution network, claimed this was an ‘unusual occurrence’ which, even in the wake of the recent blackout in the US, he had never thought could happen in the UK.

In Italy, the Ministry for Productive Activities has announced that new infrastructures will be put in place by 2005, while a management spokesman for the national distribution network has warned that there will be more blackouts over the next two years.

1. Does the Commission consider that the privatisation of infrastructures could be the cause of these occurrences?

2. What initiatives will the Commission take to ensure that the infrastructure development plans are compatible with the growth trends of individual countries' productive and social needs?

3. What initiatives will the Commission take to harmonise security standards with a view to preventing or reducing blackout risks?

4. What measures have been taken to encourage greater use of new energy sources, especially renewables, given that, as decentralised energy sources, these represent the only guarantee against blackouts?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2003)

Ownership is not relevant to the question of network failures. Whether networks are owned by private investors or government agencies, it is crucial that appropriate incentives are maintained on the companies concerned and their employees to maintain, operate and develop the network. For the electricity industry, this must be done with the oversight of the national regulatory authorities since they, in effect, control the resources that are available to the transmission and distribution businesses.

Development of transmission infrastructure is, in the main, the responsibility of the Member States concerned. However, the Community does have an interest in ensuring security of supply in the context of the emerging competitive market for electricity. It also wishes to develop competition through cross border exchanges. Accordingly, following the Commission's proposal at the Barcelona European Council (15 and 16 March 2002), the Council has adopted Guidelines for the trans-European network programme, which identifies axes of priority of European interest. Relevant projects are considered favourably for TENs finance.

The Commission has already taken measures on this issue by requesting, via the Florence Electricity Regulators Forum, that the Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE) develops an Operation Handbook which will consolidate the various guidelines that currently exist. Parts of this Handbook could be made legally binding in the context of Regulation (EC) No 1228/2003 of the Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity (1).

There can never be a 100 % guarantee against blackouts. Having said that, decentralised generation such as renewable energy sources and combined heat and power (CHP) can make a contribution to network security. The Renewables Directive (Directive 2001/77/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market (2)) requires Member States to set targets for the development of renewable energy. A similar proposal relating to CHP generation is currently passing through the legislative process.

(1) OJ L 176, 15.7.2003.

(2) OJ L 283, 27.10.2001.