Preparation for energy summit launched

At their informal meeting in Gödöllő on 14 January, Ministers and Secretaries of State for EU Affairs took the first step to jointly prepare the Energy and Innovation Summit to be held in February.

Ms Enikő Győri, Minister of State for EU Affairs, declared at the meeting that the Hungarian Presidency will fully cooperate with Mr Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council’s Per-manent President, in preparing the Council’s meeting.

”We all endeavour to adopt substantial and significant conclusions at the meeting in February”, the Minister of State said and added, ”Europe needs a uniform and efficient common energy policy to create energy security in both its internal and external dimensions.” The majority of member states agreed that these are long-term interests thus backed the Hungary Presidency’s position. The issue may not be pushed into the background at the European Council’s meeting even if another financial crisis arises.

The Hungarian Presidency intends to close a dispute that has dragged on for years now. Another country in Central Europe, the Czech Republic started is term of presidency with a serious energy crisis in early 2009 as Russia and Ukraine could not resolve their gas dispute. The winter months left several European countries, both in and outside the EU, without heating. This prompted the EU to launch the establishment of secure energy supply with even greater determination than ever before.

”No white spots on Europe’s energetic map”

A basic means to achieve this is the development of energy infrastructure. Member states stressed the importance of both interconnections inside the EU and energy routes leading to the Union. ”There must be no white spot on Europe’s energetic map”, said Ms Enikő Győri.

Many welcomed the European Commission’s proposal that each energy region should have at least two direct access points to energy sources.

In the field of innovation policy, the Hungarian Presidency intends to pay special attention to the European Research Area and to an increased possibility of exchange of experience between member states as a result of European researchers’ mobility. ”We need innovation rather than administration”, claimed Ms Győri, referring to the EU’s basic objective and duty to remove administrative obstacles in the field of research tenders.

The Gödöllő meeting also covered the new role of the General Affairs Council. The Lisbon Treaty gave new responsibilities to Ministers and Secretaries of State for EU Affairs: they have to harmonise work within the different Council formations and prepare meetings of heads of state and government in cooperation with the Commission and the President of the European Council.

At the meeting, member states discussed their future cooperation with the European Parliament. The Hungarian Presidency stressed that it will do its utmost to revive the tradition of Ministers and Secretaries of State for EU Affairs closely, cooperating with the Parliament’s relevant forums. ”The Hungarian Presidency wishes to manage a Parliament-friendly Council, and we hope that the Parliament will also be Council-friendly”, Ms Győri said.