WRITTEN QUESTION E-0092/04 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission. Evolution of electricity prices, investment in the energy sector.
Date: 2004-01-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: business policy, consumer price, electrical energy, electrical industry, electricity supply, investment policy, price fluctuation, price of energy, private sector, public sector, small and medium-sized enterprises, soft energy

C 84 E/760

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

In the 6th Framework Programme (FP) health related research is mainly financed under priority one ‘life
sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health’. This programme focuses on basic research in functional
genomics, applications of genomics and biotechnology, and applications related to medicine and health
care. Already under the first call of priority one of the 6th FP a project related to tissue and cell
engineering, which has a strong relevance for rheumatic diseases, has been selected and is currently under
negotiation. The outcome of the second call, with a closure date of 13 November 2003, will be available
mid-2004.

The Commission is defining at present topics to be considered for future calls of this priority with its
scientific programme advisory group and its programme committee. It is the intention of the Commission
to propose another topic for research related to rheumatic diseases in a later call of priority 1.

(2004/C 84 E/0856)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0081/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Implementation of IPPC Directive in Ireland

What response if any, has the Commission received from the Irish Government in response to the final
written warning sent
to Ireland in July 2003 (as announced in IP/03/1049) concerning the Irish
Government’s failure to properly implement the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive
(Council Directive 96/61/EC (1))? What action is the Commission taking or proposing to take in this
regard?

(1) OJ L 257, 10.10.1996, p. 26.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2004)

The Commission notified a Reasoned Opinion to Ireland on 11 July 2003 with regard to the
incompleteness of national legislation to implement Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996
concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (1). On 29 July 2003, Ireland sent new legislation,
namely the Protection of the Environment Act, 2003, which, according to Ireland, correctly transposes the
Directive. However, it appears that further secondary legislation is needed with regard to Article 6 of the
Directive. In addition, requirements of the new Act need to be formally commenced with commencement
orders. These outstanding elements are still awaited, and the Commission is considering the next
appropriate steps to take.

(1) OJ L 257, 10.10.1996.

(2004/C 84 E/0857)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0092/04

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission

(21 January 2004)

Subject: Evolution of electricity prices, investment in the energy sector

The German newspaper Handelsblatt reports on pages 1 and 9 of its 7 January 2004 edition that the
energy company RWE is profiting from greatly increased electricity prices. In the Austrian Standard of
2 January 2004 the chairman of the board of EVN calls for a rise in network prices with a view to
improve chances of achieving a minimum profit of 7 % on invested capital.

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/761

Can the Commission state how electricity prices for private households, small and medium-sized
enterprises and large-scale consumers have evolved over the past five to ten years in the EU countries
that have fully or partially privatised the energy sector?

How have they evolved in energy undertakings that are under State control?

How has investment in the electricity networks of European energy concerns developed since their (partial)
privatisation?

To what extent have private energy companies invested in alternative energy sources in the past ten years?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2004)

Prices have been relatively stable since 1997 in nominal terms; this amounts to a considerable reduction in
real terms across all groups. Small and medium sized enterprises have been the beneficiaries of price
reductions, especially where competition has been introduced. Non-liberalised Member States have also
delivered stable prices, but on a higher level. Many of the differences in prices between Member States can
be explained by a lack of sufficient interconnection capacity which segments the European market. The
Commission has examined this issue a number of times, notably in the Green Paper towards a European
strategy for the security of energy supply (1) and most recently in the Communication on Energy
Infrastructure and Security of Supply (2).

2003 has seen an upward trend which is expected to continue into 2004 since new investment in
generation capacity will be needed in the next few years. A separate information note providing some
background to current price trends will be sent direct to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat
General of the Parliament.

It is difficult to draw any firm conclusions about the effect of different ownership structures. In the
countries which have a significant degree of state ownership of electricity generation, such as Ireland, Italy
and Portugal, prices are rather high with France around the EU average, whereas prices for households in
Greece are very low. In the Member States with ‘privatised’ electricity provision, prices in Belgium and
Germany are above and those in the Nordic Member States below the EU average.

The Commission does not have detailed information on the level of investment by network companies.

The ‘Bundesverband Windenergie’ reports that cumulative investment of over EUR 1 billion has been made
by private companies in Germany since 1990. Wind installations in Germany currently comprise around
half of the total in the EU.

(1) COM(2000) 769 final.
(2) COM(2003) 743 final.

(2004/C 84 E/0858)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0101/04

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 January 2004)

Subject: Position of SMUs in the system for the funding of the EU’s research activities

One of the objectives of the Sixth Framework Programme for Research is to enhance the competitiveness
of the EU and for many years now SMUs have been recognised as the real generators of such improved
competitiveness.