EurActiv: Joint Gas Buying on EU Leaders' Summit Agenda

EU leaders will discuss how best to strengthen the bloc’s bargaining power, including the collective buying of gas, when they debate the European Commission communication on Energy Union.

Chairing the summit, European Council President Donald Tusk rspearheaded the idea of EU countries joining forces to negotiate gas contracts with Russian state monopoly Gazprom last year. At the time, he was Poland’s prime minister.

Energy efficiency is not on the draft agenda for the 19-20 March meeting in Brussels, despite the Energy Union’s demand that countries give it “primary consideration”. Renewable energy is mentioned, but only in the context of cutting “market-distorting” public support schemes.

The Commission communication called for member states' energy deals with non-EU nations to be vetted by the executive, before being signed.  That is up for debate by heads of state and government.

Read the full article HERE.