Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the EU 27 energy Ministers meeting on 27 February 2008 which discussed the Commission's controversial proposal to split up energy firms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10584/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The EU Commission published its third internal energy market legislative package in September 2007, which aims to further liberalise EU electricity and gas markets. A fundamental feature of this package is the Commission proposal for the full and effective separation of supply and production activities from transmission ownership and operations in both the electricity and gas sectors. At the recent EU Energy Council my Ministerial colleagues from all Member States and I discussed progress to date with Commissioner Piebalgs and the Slovenian Presidency. There are still differing opinions among Member States on the most effective model for achieving meaningful unbundling.

A bloc of Member States including the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Ireland support the Commission's proposals. A bloc of other Member States including France, Germany and Austria are still pressing for a further compromise. Minister Andrei Vizjak as President of the Council fairly reflected the views around the table in concluding that there had been progress but that there was still much work to be done and that negotiations should continue intensively with a view to reaching political agreement on the package by June. Ireland will cooperate fully with the Presidency, the Commission and Member States to achieve that outcome, taking full account of the Spring 2007 European Council Conclusions.