WRITTEN QUESTION E-2415/03 by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Towards an integrated and competitive Community energy market.
Date: 2003-07-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, electrical energy, electrical industry, energy grid, energy policy, energy supply, security of supply, trans-European network

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/145

Already a substantial amount of activities have been deployed in the area of network and information
security and cybercrime following the Commission’s Communications ‘Network and Information Security:
proposal for a European policy approach’ from June 2001, and ‘Creating a Safer Information Society by
Improving the Security of
from
January 2001.

Information Infrastructures and Combating Computer-related crime’

These activities range from an increased emphasis on security within the eEurope 2002 and 2005 action
plans, through sustained research efforts in the Information Society Technology (IST) research programmes
and the review of existing legislation (e.g. the new electronic communications legal framework and the
Electronic Signatures Directive (1)) to supporting standardisation efforts at European level and increased
security requirements for the exchange of data between public administrations, and a proposal for a
Framework Decision on attacks against information systems (2).

The broader approach on cyber-security mentioned by the Honourable Member consists in the
Commission’s view of the three categories of actions conducted respectively in the areas of the electronic
communications and data protection legal framework, the network and information security activities and
the policy on cyber-crime and information infrastructure protection.

Concerning cyber-crime related activities, the Commission intends to intensify the discussions on the
security and protection of information infrastructures between involved parties of the public and private
sector through the organisation of workshops and expert meetings in fora such as the Forum on the
prevention of organised crime. An initial workshop with the private sector is scheduled to take place in
October 2003.

(1) Directive 1999/93/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on a Community framework for

electronic signatures, OJ L 13, 19.1.2000.

(2) OJ C 203 E, 27.8.2002.

(2004/C 65 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2415/03

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject: Towards an integrated and competitive Community energy market

Electrical interconnection capacity remains, in the case of Spain, well below the target of 19 % of national
consumption set by the Barcelona European Council of 15/16 March 2002 as the minimum desirable
level.

What measures is the Commission taking to ensure that, in the coming months, countries like Spain that
are a long way from reaching this target develop new power lines with neighbouring countries that enable
completion of an integrated and competitive Community energy market?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2003)

The target set by the Barcelona European Council of 15/16 March 2002 as the minimum desirable level is
actually 10 % of national capacity production. It is true that Spain’s interconnection capacity is far below
the desirable level.

The Commission is well aware that a strong trans-border network is a key instrument both for improving
the security of supply and for establishing an efficient and competitive electricity market, and that the
interconnection network is below the optimal
it
commissioned a study on Analysis of Electricity Network Capacities and Identification of Congestion and
presented a Communication on energy infrastructure (1).

level and needs to be extended. For these reasons,

C 65 E/146

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

As a result, the Commission proposed a review of the Trans-European Networks programme which led to
Decision No 1229/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 laying down
a series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks (repealing Decision No 1254/96/EC (2)). Annex I
to this Decision lists the 12 axes for priority projects; axis EL.3.
(France (cid:1) Spain (cid:1) Portugal) deals
specifically with the problem raised, since it is aimed at ‘increasing electricity interconnection capacities
between these countries and for the Iberian peninsula and grid development in island regions’. Annex II to
the Decision lists the projects of common interest, three of which concern new interconnections between
Spain and France and Portugal
(2.8, 2.9, 2.10) while nine more concern new or upgraded national
interconnection lines that are also needed in order to achieve optimal use of trans-border interconnections
(3.18, 3.19, 3.20, 3.21, 3.22, 3.23, 3.41, 3.42, 3.43) and, finally, two concern, respectively, the upgrading
of electricity interconnection between Spain and Morocco (4.15) and a new direct interconnector between
Spain and Algeria (4.30), within the framework of the development of energy policy for the enlarged
Union, its neighbours and partner countries.

The recent power outage in the United States highlighted the need for good-quality infrastructure and
sufficient capacity to ensure security of supply.

As scheduled in its work programme, the Commission will this year present a Communication on
electricity infrastructure, which will set out measures
that
infrastructure in order to ensure security of supply, boost trade and facilitate competition.

for speeding up the development of

Directive 2003/54/EC (3) on the internal market in electricity requires Member States to take the necessary
steps to ensure security of supply by providing appropriate levels of
infrastructure maintenance/
development and, in particular, of interconnection capacity.

joint control over Spain’s

Finally, the Commission would recall its Decision of 19 March 2002 (4) concerning an agreement giving
Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW), Electricidade de Portugal S.A. (EDP) and Caja de Ahorros de Asturias
(Cajastur)
fourth largest utility company Hidroeléctrica del Cantábrico
(Hidrocantábrico). As a condition clearing the agreement, the Commission asked that Electricité de France
(EDF)
(which controls EnBW) and the operator of the French electricity grid, EDF-Réseau Transport
Electricité (RTE), should undertake to increase substantially to about 4 000 megawatt (MW) the commercial
capacity on the interconnector between France and Spain.

(1) Communication of the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on European energy infrastructure,

COM(2001) 775 final.
(2) OJ L 176, 15.7.2003.
(3) Directive 2003/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 concerning common rules

for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 96/92/EC, OJ L 176, 15.7.2003.

(4) Case No IV/M.2684 (cid:1) EnBW/EDP/Cajastur/Hidrocantábrico, OJ C 114, 15.5.2002.

(2004/C 65 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2416/03

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject: Communication on PVC strategy

The Commission’s answer to my oral question H-0259/03 (1) provides no information over and above
what has been known for two years now. At the same time, the subject of the strategy on PVC referred to
in that question formed part of the Commission’s work programmes for 2002 and 2003. In the light of
the above, could the Commission specify when it is that it intends to present the specific communication
on PVC? Could it explain why the Review of chemicals policy and the Thematic strategy on recycling only
take into consideration PVC and do not cover other materials?

(1) Written answer of 13.5.2003.