EU leaders have agreed to work more closely on the issue of energy security at the latest European summit, however the member nations have not as yet hammered out any detailed proposals.
Following a number of supply security fears in recent months, energy has been high on the agenda at the current European summit in Brussels. However, despite a willingness to commit to take action, EU leaders have yet to set out any specific actions to be taken.
The prevalence of the security agenda comes in the wake of multiple gas shortage scares in the UK, accusations that protectionism is hindering the European wholesale market and disputes between Russia and a number of its neighbors over gas supply prices.
According to a report from the BBC, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said summit attending ministers had pledged support for a common energy policy.
I am very delighted that the European Council is backing our call for an energy policy for Europe, that it makes sense to have a common strategy for Europe, the BBC quoted Mr Barroso as saying.
The positive, if tentative, development relieves fears that the summit’s energy discussions would be overshadowed by protectionism arguments, particularly between Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi and the French premier Jacques Chirac. Mr Berlusconi did reportedly joke about declaring war on France, but ultimately the issue was left on the sidelines.