Europe
326.The Lisbon European Council in March 2000 agreed to accelerate energy liberalisation with the ultimate objective of a fully open internal electricity and gas market. This was followed in March 2001 by proposals from the European Commission for new Electricity and Gas Directives and a Regulation on cross-border trade in electricity. Political agreement on these proposals was reached at the Energy Council on 25 November 2002.
327.The new Directives require, among other things, independent regulation, transparent, non-discriminatory access to infrastructure, the unbundling of vertically integrated monopolies and for all consumers to choose their electricity and gas suppliers by July 2007. The Regulation establishes a mechanism for developing cross-border trading arrangements.
328.The Government strongly endorses these measures, which it believes are essential prerequisites for a properly functioning internal energy market. BETTA will allow us to apply even greater pressure on our European partners to implement the changes agreed in the Directive in terms of opening their markets and increasing competition.
