Council Regulation (EC) No 701/97 of 14 April 1997 amending a programme to promote international cooperation in the energy sector - Synergy programme

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 701/97 of 14 April 1997 amending a programme to promote international cooperation in the energy sector - Synergy programme
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 235 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),
Whereas, for reasons of the competitiveness of the Community's industries, security of supply and the protection of the environment, energy matters must be an important element in the Union's international activities;
Whereas the Community's accession to the Energy Charter Treaty and the Convention on Climate Change commits it to cooperation in the energy field;
Whereas the conclusions of the Council of Ministers for Development and Cooperation of 18 November 1992 on the guidelines for cooperation with the developing countries for clean and efficient energy technology stressed that an essential objective of energy cooperation with all developing countries was the implementation of effective energy policies;
Whereas, as stressed in the Council resolution of 8 July 1996 on the White Paper 'An energy policy for the European Union` (3), energy developments in the Community are increasingly influenced by external developments and efforts must therefore be made to ensure that the Community develops a coherent and consistent approach to energy matters with third countries;
Whereas the Community is engaged in international energy activities under various programmes and whereas, to ensure that these activities are consistent, they should be coordinated within a programme for energy policy cooperation with non-member States;
Whereas, as part of the Community energy objectives towards non-member States, cooperation can be satisfied by the creation of such a programme; whereas the legal instrument on which this programme is based should allow all international energy activities, particularly those in the fields of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, to be incorporated into a consistent strategy and adjusted to the various Community policies;
Whereas this programme contributes to the coordination of the Community's other measures in the energy sector; whereas there must therefore be no duplication with other Community programmes, programmes of the Member States, non-member States and international organizations;
Whereas the principal objectives of the programme, particularly the coordination of the various programmes of international measures, by reason of their wide-ranging nature, can be attained in the best possible manner at a Community level;
Whereas it is necessary to establish a legal instrument for the activities of the Community's international cooperation in the field of energy policy;
Whereas according to the Council resolution on the White Paper 'An energy policy for the European Union`, political and trade relations are essential components of energy policy, and accordingly the Community's international energy cooperation measures should be integrated more effectively in its external policy as a whole;
Whereas energy cooperation pursuant to the programme should be to improve competitiveness of Community industries, to enhance security of supply, to promote sustainable development and to improve energy efficiency; whereas effect may be given to such cooperation by the provision of cooperation and co-financing of projects;
Whereas such cooperation should be anchored in an indicative programme and may be the subject of agreements with the States concerned or with international networks of study and research centres;
Whereas it is appropriate that the Commission be assisted, in the implementation of Community aid cooperation, by a committee made up of Member States' representatives;
Whereas this programme must be subject to an assessment carried out by independent experts;
Whereas, since the cooperation in a question is external cooperation, it is governed by the special provisions laid down in Title IX of the Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (4);
Whereas a financial reference amount within the meaning of point 2 of the Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 on the incorporation of financial provisions into legislative acts (5), is included in this Regulation, without thereby affecting the powers of the budgetary authority as they are defined by the Treaty;
Whereas it is appropriate to improve the transparency and coordination of Community activities in the energy sector, which are currently placed in separate programmes; to this end a possible presentation of a framework energy programme could follow the presentation by the Commission of a communication on all Community programmes which have an energy component,