Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Energy Council will be held on 13 June. We have made the agenda available to the committee. It includes completion of the Internal Market in energy, international energy relations and, in particular, the value of multilateral frameworks to promote climate and energy policy goals. To outline the context, the recent informal meeting of energy Ministers which I attended in Athens on 15 and 16 May provided an opportunity for Ministers to discuss the following: energy security; fuel import dependency; completion of the internal energy market; the southern gas corridor; construction of the necessary infrastructure and interconnections, including projects of common interest; development of indigenous resources, including renewables and energy efficiency; a level playing field with regard to third countries; a strong external dimension with member states speaking with one voice; diversification of routes and sources for gas; continued efforts towards decarbonisation, that is, the 2050 roadmap and 2030 framework; and consistency between energy security and the 2030 framework policies that are mutually reinforcing. A good deal of this has been prompted by the Ukraine crisis and the implications of that for energy security. Ministers also considered the issue of financing energy efficiency, financing projects of common interest, PCIs, and governance under the climate and energy 2030 framework.

As I mentioned earlier the Energy Council will be held on 13 June. Ministers will consider a report on the completion of the internal energy market by 2014 and discuss the value of multilateral frameworks to promote climate and energy policy.

With regard to the European Council meeting on 26 and 27 June, the focus of discussion is expected to be on energy and security, and the Commission's expected European energy security strategy. A comprehensive plan for reducing energy dependency is a key issue which has arisen because of the situation in Ukraine. I understand that this strategy is due to be adopted today. In this regard, discussion will also focus on new routes, including potential new discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean. In addition, there will be discussion on Poland's proposal for an energy union which stresses the importance of investment in energy connectors. The Council will take stock of progress made on 2030 framework for climate and energy with a view to adopting a final decision at the October European Council.