Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending Decision No 1254/96/EC laying down a series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks'
Date: 1999-01-27
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: ESC opinion, electrical energy, energy grid, management of resources, natural gas, trans-European network

12.4.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 101/25

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a European Parliament
and Council Decision amending Decision No 1254/96/EC laying down a series of guidelines
for trans-European energy networks’

(1999/C 101/07)

On 23 October 1998 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee,
under the first paragraph of Article 129d of the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Trans-European Networks, Transport and Information Society, which was
responsible for preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 16
December 1998. The rapporteur was Mr Herna´ndez Bataller.

At its 360th plenary session (meeting of 27 January 1999) the Economic and Social Committee
adopted the following opinion by 125 votes to one, with two abstentions.

1.

Introduction

1.1.
This proposal updates the indicative list of
projects of common interest in the energy sector as laid
down originally in Decision No 1254/96/EC (1) and
amended by Decision No 1047/97/EC (2).

1.2.
The proposal alters the description of four
specific projects already on the list, adds twelve new
projects and includes three projects which had been
proposed by the Commission in its January 1994
proposal laying down guidelines for trans-European
energy networks and which are now sufficiently
advanced.

1.3.
The proposed update includes considerably more
projects connected with gas networks (14) than with
electricity networks (5), highlighting the greater need to
safeguard the continuity of natural gas supplies as well
as the efforts being made to boost the share of this fuel
in Europe’s primary energy supply.

2. General comments

The Committee has welcomed all the decisions
2.1.
concerning the development of trans-European energy
networks, although its opinions contain various com-
ments and suggestions aimed at strengthening the
legal basis, facilitating implementation and taking into
account the economic and social repercussions of pro-
jects, and in particular the need to monitor constantly
their impact on employment.

The Committee realizes that the indicative list
2.2.
of projects of common interest needs to be updated

(1) OJ C 195, 18.7.1994.
(2) OJ C 30, 30.1.1997.

periodically on account of the rapid growth of the
energy sector and the increasing need for supply, storage
and interconnection infrastructure, which guarantee a
high level of supply, reliability and diversification of
supply sources.

2.3.
The Committee therefore welcomes this proposal
to update the decision, which includes a series of
projects which are important for consolidating the
trans-European energy networks and further safeguard-
ing Europe’s energy supplies. Furthermore, some of
these projects include investment in gas transmission
infrastructure in eastern European countries, which will
mean closer relations between these countries and the
Member States.

The Committee would suggest that it is in the
2.4.
interests of
the proposed
the Member States that
decision, amended where necessary, be adopted as soon
as possible.

2.5.
The following comments need to be made,
however, together with a few points already raised in
previous opinions and not satisfactorily incorporated in
this proposal:

The outlying and most remote regions are not
2.5.1.
dealt with adequately in the proposed list. This tends to
isolate them even further from Europe’s more favoured
regions. On earlier occasions the Committee has stressed
that, because of the difficulty or impossibility of intercon-
necting their internal networks with the trans-European
networks and their limited diversification of supply
sources, such regions are at a disadvantage compared
with the central regions of Europe. It is therefore
necessary to step up energy investments in these regions
and thus strengthen economic and social cohesion.

C 101/26

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.4.1999

2.5.2. Without prejudice to regional policy measures
at Community level and in accordance with the subsidi-
arity principle, the operation of the internal energy
market should ensure that the Member States are able
to establish public service obligations to safeguard final
supply to all citizens on the same terms as regards
quality and price.

2.5.3.
Projects involving trans-European energy net-
works should be particularly careful not to damage the
environment. This factor is not expressly addressed in
the current proposal. The Committee would like to
see a more explicit reference to the importance of
environmental impact assessment. At all events, respect
for the environment should be a major criterion in the
selection of projects, both now and in the future.

Brussels, 27 January 1999.

3. Specific comments

Add the following texts to the preamble:

3.1.
‘Whereas the next review of this list shall give
special attention to integrating the specific needs of the
outlying and most remote regions of the European Union
so as to ensure that the technical conditions exist for
safeguarding final supply to the populace’.

3.2.
‘Whereas every new project must meet
strategic environmental impact assessment criteria’.

the

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a European Parliament
and Council Directive amending Council Directive 76/308/EEC on mutual assistance for the
recovery of claims resulting from operations forming part of the system of financing the
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, and of agricultural levies and customs
duties and in respect of value added tax and certain excise duties’ (1)

(1999/C 101/08)

On 28 July 1998 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 100a of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned
proposal.

The Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion, which
was responsible for preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on
15 December 1998. The rapporteur was Mr Bento Gonçalves.

At its 360th plenary session (meeting of 27 January 1999), the Economic and Social Committee
adopted the following opinion by 119 votes to one with four abstentions.

1.

Introduction

1.1. Scope of the proposal

The main purpose of the Commission communication
and the accompanying proposal is to amend, inter alia,

Council Directives 76/308/EEC and 79/1071/EEC in
order to improve the procedures for mutual assistance
between Member States with regard to the recovery of
claims resulting from operations forming part of the
system of financing the EAGGF and relating to the
following:

— agricultural levies and customs duties

(1) OJ C 269, 28.8.1998, p. 16.

— value added tax (VAT)