[autom.vertaling] EU-Rusland de Dialoog van de Energie: Strategieën op energiegebied en de uitdagingen van elektriciteitsinterconnectie (en)
On 16th and 17th October 2003, two Round Tables were held in Moscow in the framework of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. The Round Table on 16th October was devoted to electricity and, more specifically, to the problems and prospects for the development of a wider European electricity market, based upon a future interconnection of the continental European electricity grid with that of Russia and the CIS. The Round Table on 17th October permitted a joint analysis and discussion based upon the recently approved Russian energy strategy to 2020, the publication earlier this month by the European Commission of the latest "European Energy and Transport Trends to 2030", as well as the European Commission's Green Paper "Towards a European Strategy for the Security of Energy Supply".
On the occasion of the first EU-Russia Energy Dialogue Round Table in Brussels on 10th December 2002, held on the subject of natural gas, the two sole interlocutors, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko and European Commission Director General François Lamoureux, agreed that further round tables should be held in the future on specific energy issues of mutual interest.
Participants of the electricity round table supported the establishment of a single common European electricity market, which form part of the Commission's neighbouring country policy, and believe that such a market would be an important component of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. Integration of electricity markets, on the basis of a level playing field, would bring substantial benefits in terms of the development of free competition, improvement of security of electricity supply.
In this context the intention of UCTE and RAO/UES to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on the synchronous interconnection of the UCTE and IPS/UPS systems was welcomed. It was agreed that a common strategy on a progressive integration of the European and Russian networks and electricity markets should be developed, including options for a conclusion of a respective Agreement.
With the approval of the Russian energy strategy to 2020 in September and the recent publication by the Commission of the latest "European Energy and Transport Trends to 2030", the sole interlocutors had agreed that mid-October was an ideal moment to co-operate more closely to analyse EU and Russian energy strategies and energy forecasts. The Round Table, analysed and discussed the Russian and EU strategies and policies. The participants highlighted the growing mutual energy interdependency and the interest of pursuing policy convergence, industrial co-operation and the facilitation of investments in order to open up a truly continent-wide energy market. The two sole interlocutors agreed on the importance of co-operating closer together to promote a convergence of energy strategies and the development of energy markets.
Conclusions
of the Round Table on Electricity
held in the context of the Conference on Comparative Analysis of European and Russian Energy Strategies and EU-Russia Energy Dialogue.
Moscow, Russia, October 16, 2003
A Round Table on Electricity was held in Moscow on October 16, 2003, in the context of the Conference on Comparative Analysis of European and Russian Energy Strategies and EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. It focused the attention of the Russian and EU political leadership and high-level experts on the problems and prospects of the development of a wider European electricity market and allowed them to consider the interconnection of the electricity systems of Russia/CIS and the EU and the establishment of a common European electricity market. Interconnection of the electricity systems and creation of the common electricity market is one of the priorities of the energy sector development strategies of both Russia and the EU.
Participants from the EC side included Mr. F. Lamoureux, Director General for Transport and Energy in the European Commission and single interlocutor for the Energy Dialogue on the EC side, Mr. J. Vasconcelos, President of the Council of European Energy Regulators, Mr. Martin Fuchs, President of UCTE, Mr. P. Bulteel, the Secretary General of EURELECRIC and senior representatives from ETSO (European Transmission System Operators).
The Russian side was represented by Mr. V.Khristenko, Deputy Chairman of Government of the Russian Federation, Mr. A.Chubais, CEO of RAO UESR, Mr. V.Pauli, CEO of SO-CDU of the UES, Mr. A.Rappoport, CEO of Federal Grid Company of the UES, and high-level representatives from the Government of Russian Federation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry for Energy, Ministry for Trade and Economic Development, Committees for Energy of the Federation Council and the State Duma, Federal Energy Commission, and from other Russian organizations.
Participants expressed their interest in the establishment of a single common European electricity market and believe that such a market is an important component of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. Integration of electricity markets will bring substantial benefits in terms of the development of a free competition, improvement of security of electricity supply and the creation of new opportunities for business cooperation in the electricity sectors of both Russia and EU countries.
The process is taking on a pan-European scale and nature, while the enlargement of the European Union is giving a further momentum and broader prospects to it. Russia, on the other hand, is embarking upon the actual liberalisation of its domestic electricity market, acting at the same time as a leader of the integration processes in the electricity industry of the former USSR area.
In order for integrated markets to function in an acceptable and efficient manner, a level playing field must be ensured. This requires that all parts of such a wider market are organised on the basis of equivalent basic rules with respect to the degree of market opening and other important market rules, such as regulation of network access and unbundling.
Furthermore, environmental and safety standards for electricity production must be comparable, including nuclear safety. In the context of environmental standards those resulting from the Kyoto protocol need to be taken into account.
The structural reforms leading to the creation of the internal European electricity market and the ongoing reform process regarding market opening in Russia are encouraging developments in this respect.
Participants stated that an efficient market integration would require setting up the technological infrastructure necessary for joint operation of the electricity systems of Russia and the EU countries. Participants also believe that the synchronisation of the EU electricity systems with the United Power System of Russia and CIS countries can be one of the best solutions to ensure an efficient operation of the European competitive electricity market.
In any event, an interconnection can only take place on the basis of high safety and security rules that guarantee the continuous reliability of both systems. The importance of efficient safety and security rules and efficient co-ordination between regional system operators forming part of a wider system has been highlighted again by the recent black-outs in the United States of America and Italy.
Important initial steps towards the implementation of the electricity systems interconnection have already being taken. A working group of experts has been set up in context of the energy dialogue to undertake an analysis and to provide a detailed picture of the current status of the markets in the EU and Russia, notably on the extent to which current and planned EU and Russian market and environmental rules are equivalent. The working group should now make rapid progress and submit a report of all relevant issues by mid-2004. Following this, a common strategy on a progressive integration of the European and Russian networks and electricity markets should be developed, including options for a conclusion of a respective Agreement.
The East-West electricity systems interconnection items as well as the development of a common electricity market, environmental and security issues will be further discussed at the conference "Electricity market from Lisbon to Vladivostok" to be held by EURELECTRIC, UCTE and CIS EPC in Brussels on 13-14 November 2003.
Participants are convinced of the need to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on the synchronous interconnection of the UCTE and IPS/UPS systems. The project should be given a status of high mutual interest of Russia and the EU. Mr Lamoureux underlined in this context that the Commission is prepared to co-finance this study as a priority study of common European interest. Mr Chubais stated the willingness of RAO UES of Russia to co-finance this project from the Russian side. Mr Khristenko stressed the objective of making a final decision on the interconnection issue by 2007. This Round Table on Electricity opens a new perspective for a more profound cooperation in the electricity sector, as well as for a further successful development of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. Participants expressed their support for the efforts aimed at solving the issue of a synchronous interconnection of both electricity systems concerned on a mutually acceptable basis, taking into account the interests and the requirements of the parties involved and addressing it in the context of the evolution of the overall political and economic situation in Europe and at the global scale.
Conclusions
Of the Round Table on Energy Strategies
held in the context of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue's Conference on the
Comparative Analysis of European and Russian Energy Strategies.
Moscow, Russia, October 17, 2003
The EU-Russia Energy Dialogue, over the last three years, has achieved a number of significant results, among which:
- Access for Russian companies to the EU's internal energy market,
- The confirmation of the importance of long-term natural gas supply contracts and the work in resolving the issue of destination clauses that exist in certain long-term contracts for gas,
- The increased opening of the Russian energy sector to European investments,
- The identification of a number of important energy infrastructure projects as being of common interest, including the Northern Trans-European gas pipeline,
- The forthcoming mandate from the EU Member states for the Commission to negotiate on the issue of trade in nuclear materials. This will mean that negotiations should commence in January 2004,
- Close co-operation between the EU and the Russian Federation in the field of enhancing the safety of the transportation of oil by maritime transport;
- The agreement to analyse the feasibility of a non-commercial risk guarantee mechanism which could significantly improve investments in the Russian energy sector by reducing the perceived risks,
- The establishment of a technical joint working group to examine all the issues related to the interconnection of the continental European electricity grid with that of the Russian Federation.
The Russian Federation and the European Commission today held a Round Table on Energy Strategies under the framework of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. This event was opened by Mr Viktor Khristenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Mr François Lamoureux, Director-General of Energy and Transport of the European Commission. Representatives of the authorities of the Russian Federation, the European Commission and the EU Presidency participated in this event, together with the Russian and European energy industries.
The Round Table was held in the context of the recently approved "Russian Energy Strategy to 2020" and the publication earlier this month by the European Commission of the latest European Energy and Transport Trends to 2030", as well as the European Commission's Green Paper "Towards a European Strategy for the security of energy supply".
The exchange of views highlighted the recognition of the growing mutual energy interdependency and interest of pursuing policy convergence, industrial co-operation and the facilitation of investments, as well as the approximation of technical norms and standards in the energy sector to open up a truly continent-wide energy market.
Russia's energy strategy underlines its role as a major factor on world energy markets and focuses on enhancing the security of energy supplies via the modernisation and expansion of energy capacities, attracting investments into the energy sector and the development of new energy infrastructures, improving the internal balance between different fuels and the development of a monitoring system. The EU strategy recognises its position as a net and growing energy importer, particularly following enlargement to 25 Member states next year, and places an important emphasis on guaranteeing secure, stable, reliable and competitive supplies of energy.
Participants noted common objectives of secure supply and demand of energy, improving economic competitiveness, reducing the instability in the energy markets, co-financing of important infrastructure projects of mutual interest, ensuring the sustainable development and use of energy sources, co-operating jointly in new and advanced energy technologies, and the necessity of improving energy efficiency and energy demand management. There was also a general appreciation of the decisive contribution that Russian natural gas has, and will continue to make for the energy security of the European continent.
In the discussions on the importance of reinforcing energy relations, the issue of denominating Russia's oil and gas exports in Euros was raised. While recognising that this issue is finally one for the suppliers and their clients, participants at the Round Table highlighted that this would be a clear signal of the deepening relations between Russia and the EU in the energy sector.
With respect to enhancing the energy transport infrastructures between Russia and the EU, the recent decision by the EU to co-finance a feasibility study of the North European Gas Pipeline was welcomed.
The announcement by the Commission that the negotiations on the trade in nuclear materials will commence in January 2004 was considered as an important progress on this issue. The Round Table, recognising the challenge of ensuring the non-proliferation of nuclear materials and of preventing nuclear terrorism, stressed that co-operation in the field of nuclear safeguards should be a priority.
It was also suggested that work could usefully be undertaken to develop efficient frameworks for reducing energy consumption. Following the strategy set out in the European Commission's Green Paper on the Security of Energy Supplies, the practical experience of the European Union in preparing legislative proposals to address energy efficiency in the construction and renovation of buildings, as well as in the transport sector and co-generation could be usefully shared with the Russian Federation.
Representatives of the Russian Federation and the Commission have therefore agreed, in the framework of the Energy Dialogue, to co-operate closely together to promote the convergence of energy strategies and the development of energy markets.