WRITTEN QUESTION E-3436/03 by Antonio Di Pietro (ELDR) to the Commission. Harmonisation of the European energy market.
Date: 2003-11-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Sardinia, approximation of laws, electrical energy, market prices, single market

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/813

Finally, with regard to use of Community funding mechanisms (structural funds or cohesion fund) all
projects benefiting from Community financial support are required ‘inter alia’ to respect Community
legislation and policies including environmental legislation and policies.

(2004/C 78 E/0862)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3436/03

by Antonio Di Pietro (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 November 2003)

Subject: Harmonisation of the European energy market

The company ‘Portovesme s.r.l.’, located at Portovesme near Cagliari, is Italy’s leading producer of non-
ferrous metals, lead and zinc.

It is currently one of the most modern and integrated metallurgical plants in Europe, but in order to
operate it needs large quantities of energy, which in Sardinia (cid:1) in terms of lire (cid:1) costs ITL 120-130 per
kWh, whilst in other EU Member States, such as France or Germany, businesses in the sector pay the
equivalent of ITL 50-60 per kWh.

Under these unfair conditions ‘Portovesme s.r.l.’ is no longer competitive and 1 500 workers may be laid
off, a prospect which would be detrimental to the already critical employment situation in Sardinia.

Does the Commission not consider that such large-scale distortions of
incomplete harmonisation in the energy sector? How does it intend to remedy this serious situation?

the market are caused by

In addition to long-term solutions, is it possible to take specific action to support ‘Portovesme s.r.l.’, in
view of the special needs of island regions?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 January 2004)

According to the final report of the tenth (Italian) parliamentary Commission, which performed an
extensive investigation on the status and perspectives of the energy sector, the reasons for the higher price
of energy in Italy, in comparison with other Member States are in particular:

(a) a market that still lacks competition,

(b)

the choice of more expensive fuels,

(c)

the low conversion efficiency of power plants.

The action of
the Commission has been focused on the first problem for several years, and two
Directives (1) on this issue have now been adopted by the Council and Parliament, giving a strong impulse
to the development of a single, efficient and competitive market throughout the Union, the internal
electricity market. This in turn should, over a period of time, have a substantial effect in reducing the price
differences for electricity among Member States. However, it is unlikely that price differences will disappear
completely, because the remaining reasons concern national energy policies, which in conformity with the
subsidiarity principle, are dealt with by each Member State.

(1) Directive 96/92/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 1996 concerning common rules for the
internal market in electricity, OJ L 27, 30.1.1997; Directive 2003/54/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of
26 June 2003 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 96/92/EC (cid:1)
Statements made with regard to decommissioning and waste management activities, OJ L 176, 15.7.2003, which
has to be implemented by Member States by 1 July 2004.