Division Current situation

Over the last few years, oil markets have become volatile and unpredictable while prices have reached high levels. EU energy dependency increases continuously; energy demand is on the rise casting doubt on the capability of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while the EU electricity/gas markets have not yet developed into a real competitive internal market. Within this political environment, the Commission – in response to the invitation of Heads of State and Government in 2005 – reacted with a series of proposals (Green Paper: A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy), such as the establishment of a European Energy Supply Observatory to monitor the demand and supply patterns of EU energy markets, a new Community Directive on heating and cooling, target monitoring/defining beyond 2010 on renewable energies (including electricity and liquid biofuels) and the monitoring of energy end-use efficiency improvements.

Main initiatives for 2008 to 2012:

• a Regulation on Energy Statistics covering the current requirements, thus improving quality will be adopted,

• a legal obligation to collect statistics on electricity and gas prices paid by households will be introduced,

• a methodology/approach to identify the actual countries of origin (destination) for gas imports (exports) will be established,

• the methodology/nomenclatures for collecting liquid biofuel statistics will be improved,

• indicators/data collection in order to assess energy efficiency as provided for in Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on energy end-use efficiency and energy services^f1 will be defined,

• competition indicators assessing effectiveness of competition and integration of gas/electricity markets will be extended, if necessary.