OPINION OF THE COMMISSION pursuant to Article 189 b (2)(d) of the EC Treaty, on the European Parliament' s amendments to the Council' s common position regarding the proposal for a EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION laying down a series of guidelines on trans- European energy networks
Date: 1995-11-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: electrical energy, energy grid, management of resources, natural gas, security of supply, trans-European network

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  23.11.1995 
COM(95)  577final 

94/0009(COD) 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION 
pursuant to Article  189 b (2) (d) of the EC Treaty, 
on the European Parliament's amendments 
to the Council's common position regarding the 

proposal  for a 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT  AND COUNCIL DECISION 
laying down a series of guidelines on trans-European energy networks 

AMENDING  THE PROPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION 
pursuant to Article  189 a (2) of the EC Treaty 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION 

1 

BACKGROUND 

8  February  1994: 

Transmission  of  the  initial  proposal  COM  (93)  685  to  the 
European  Parliament  and the Council. 

27 April  1994: 

Opinion  of the  Economic  and  Social  Committee. 

17 May  1994: 

Opinion  of the Committee  of the Regions. 

18 May  1995: 

European  Parliament's  opinion  on  first  reading. 

29 May  1995: 

Transmission  of the  amended  proposal  COM (95) 226. 

29 June  1995: 

Adoption  by  the Council  of  its common  position. 

26 October  1995: 

European  Parliament's  opinion  on  second  reading. 

2 

PURPOSE  OF  THE  COMMISSION'S  PROPOSAL 

The  proposal  lays  down  a  series  of  guidelines  for  the  future  development  of  trans-
European  electricity  and  natural  gas  networks,  as  provided  for  by  the  first  indent  of 
Article  129c(l)  of  the  Treaty. 

The proposed  guidelines  cover the  scope, objectives,  priorities  and broad  lines  of action 
by  the  Community  on  trans-European  energy  networks.  They  also  identify  projects  of 
common  interest  for  the trans-European  electricity  and  natural  gas networks. 

3. 

COMMENTS  ON PARLIAMENT'S  SECOND  READING 

Parliament  adopted  five  amendments  to  the  Council's  common  position  on  its  second 
reading.  It had also adopted the same amendments, in whole or in part, on first  reading. 

The Commission's  position  on these amendments is as follows: 

• 

Amendment No  1 :  accepted. 

This amendment adds a new recital  which clarifies the criteria for optimum siting 
of the  projects.  It is based  on the  idea that the  solutions  adopted  for  the energy 
links must be the most advantageous from  the economic  point of view and have 
the smallest impact on the environment. 

• 

Amendment No 2:  rejected.  The objectives are: 

(a) 

Introduction  of  a type I committee 

The Commission  maintains its position in favour of a type Ha committee 
(management  committee),  which is better suited to the tasks assigned. 

(b) 

Addition to the provisions on the committee procedure of rules calling for 
consultation  of Parliament on the measures submitted to the committee. 

Consultation  of Parliament is,  in essence,  acceptable to the Commission. 
However,  the  Commission  considers  that  the  modus  vivendi  explicitly 
referred  to in the twelfth  recital  in the common  position  guarantees such 
consultation  and  that  there  is  therefore  no  need  to  change  the  standard 
committee procedure clauses. 

• 

• 

Amendment No  3:  withdrawn by Parliament (for the record). 

Amendment No  6:  rejected. 

This  amendment  provides  for  systematic  use  of  the  co-decision  procedure  for 
updating the list of projects of common interest.  The Commission considers this 
procedure too long in comparison with the flexibility  required for this operation. 
Consultation of Parliament on updating of the list is ensured by the modus vivendi 
in any case. 

• 

Amendment No 4:  accepted. 

This amendment gives fuller details of the Baltic ring project on interconnection 
of the electricity networks.  According to the Commission's information, this fuller 
description  corresponds to the project being considered. 

• 

Amendment No  5:  rejected. 

This amendment is intended to add the inter-Nordic and Baltic gas network to the 
list of projects of common interest.  According to the Commission's information, 
this project is not yet  sufficiently  advanced. 

4 

CONCLUSIONS 

The Commission  accepts amendments No  1 and 4,  as adopted by Parliament on second 
reading. 

The Commission  had already  included  amendment  No  1 in its amended proposal. 

Amendment No 4 was not included  in the Commission's  amended proposal. 

Consequently,  the Commission  adds the following  to its proposal,  as amended  after the 
first  reading: 

• 

Add  to  the  Annex  on  "Trans-European  energy  networks  -  Indicative  list  of 
projects of  common interest": 

"d.14  Baltic  ring:  Germany,  Poland,  Russia  (Baltic  regions),  Estonia,  Latvia, 
Lithuania,  Sweden,  Finland,  Denmark, Belarus." 

*  *  * 

Amended  proposal  for  a 

EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT  AND COUNCIL  DECISION 

laying  down  a series of  guidelines  on  trans-European 
energy  networks. 

(presented  by  the Commission  pursuant  to Article  189 A(2) 
of the EC  Treaty) 

y 

The Commission  adds the following  to  its  proposal,  as amended  after  the first reading 
(COM (95) 226): 

• 

Add  to  the  Annex  on  "Trans-European  energy  networks  -  Indicative  list  of 
projects of  common interest": 

"d.14  Baltic  ring:  Germany,  Poland,  Russia  (Baltic  regions),  Estonia,  Latvia, 
Lithuania,  Sweden,  Finland,  Denmark, Belarus." 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(95) 577 final 

DOCUMENTS 

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12 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-95-615-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-96346-8 

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