CELEX: 51995PC0577
Language: en
Date: 1995-11-23
Title: Amended proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision laying down a series of guidelines on trans- European energy networks

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
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                        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.
 ---pagebreak--- 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.
 ---pagebreak--- 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."
                                        * * *
 ---pagebreak---                  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
 ---pagebreak--- 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."
 ---pagebreak---                                                                   ISSN 0254-1475
                                                           COM(95) 577 final
                                             DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                           12
                                     Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-615-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-77-96346-8
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