EU Top Energy Meeting To Consider Wider Energy Net

Affordable energy sources are crucial for economic growth and job creation across Europe, Irish Prime Minster Enda Kenny has said in a comment on the European Council meeting in Brussels Wednesday.

Ireland currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council, until June 30.

This week's council meeting deals with the contentious issues of taxation and energy. Although tax has been very much in headlines across the world because of Apple's appearance before a US Congressional committee - and its favourable tax rates in Ireland - energy is also controversial because of the emerging official EU position on mining shale gas.

Noting the competitive advantage which cheaper energy, on the back of shale gas, is giving the US, Kenny said: "We need to improve energy efficiency; we need to complete, without delay, the Internal Energy Market; we need to ensure that investments take place in necessary infrastructure; and we have to look to diversify our energy supplies, including looking at our indigenous resources."

The Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) referred to a statement by EU President Herman van Rompuy on the importance of a diversified energy supply. "He highlights both the geographical spread of EU imports and stronger development of indigenous resources. I will highlight ... the importance of meeting renewables targets and the consequential shift in the EU-wide generation mix."

The EU Energy Commissioner, Gunther Oettinger, earlier this week was quoted by a German newspaper as saying his colleagues would investigate and consider hydraulic fracturing (fracking) across Europe. Oettinger has also commented that Germany, his native land, could lose its competitive edge if it made a hasty and extreme choice against fracking.