Vragen en antwoorden over komende Energieraad op 7 december (en)

The start of the UN Climate Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen is not the only event taking place on 7 December - the last Energy Council meeting of the autumn is also taking place in Brussels. President-in-Office of the Council Maud Olofsson believes that the EU has an important role to play in the energy area in the future, and is delighted that three climate-smart directives are now being put in place.

What will the Energy Council on 7 December be about?

Three important energy efficiency directives have been negotiated during the autumn and it is now time for the energy ministers to formally adopt them in the Council. These directives will make it easier for both consumers and enterprises to act in favour of climate-smart social development. It has been important for the Swedish Presidency to bring the energy efficiency package through, and it will have clear effects in the form of reduced energy consumption and improvements to the environment. We see this as an important signal to the rest of the world ahead of COP 15 that the EU has actually reached an agreement on these large, important issues.

What has the work towards Copenhagen in the energy area been like at EU level?

The climate issue is, of course, closely linked to energy policy and during the Presidency we have taken several important steps towards the meeting in Copenhagen. The transition to an eco-efficient economy has been a kind of ‘green thread’ running through both formal and informal meetings, and the aim is, of course, to ensure that Europe takes the lead in making the transition to a climate-smart society in which energy, raw materials and transport systems are used more efficiently. The transition to an eco-efficient economy creates new jobs and promotes growth at a time when the demand for environmentally sound products and services is increasing in Europe and the rest of the world.

In the course of the autumn, the EU has held important meetings with countries including the USA, Russia and Brazil. What role will the EU play in global energy issues?

The EU can - and will - be a leading actor in the energy area in the future. By ensuring that we are at the forefront when it comes to renewable energy, and by utilising and developing innovative solutions for the environment, we can continue to play an important role in global climate efforts.

How would you sum up the autumn’s work in the energy area?

It has been an autumn filled with exciting and valuable discussions, and I believe that Sweden has shown that we can deliver and we are achieving the objectives we set. The EU has taken important steps into the future in many different areas during the autumn, and large parts of the work we have started will be pursued further by the Spanish Presidency in the new year. For one thing, it is time to formulate the successor to the Lisbon Strategy. We are already seeing that the transition to an eco-efficient economy is an important component of the discussions, which I am naturally very happy about.