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Baltic States Agree on Energy Interconnection Plan
The Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP) is the fruit of nine months work at the initiative of the Commission to look at concrete measures to connect Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia better to wider EU energy networks.
"The signature of the Memorandum of Understanding reflects the solidarity which has driven work between the Commission and Member States on this, since we met last October, we have agreed on a number of steps to improve energy security for the Baltic Sea Region," said Commission President José Manuel Barroso at a pre-European Council dinner with the Heads of State and Government of the eight Member States from the Baltic Sea Region.
"My special thanks go to the High Level Group who through their continuous commitment and hard work have produced an action plan in just a few months."
Commissioner Piebalgs added: "Ending the effective isolation of the Baltic States, which still form an energy island, is an urgent task to deal with. Looking at the actions and projects the plan contains and which are now endorsed by the countries of the region, I am now confident that this objective can be achieved in a mid-term perspective."
The signature of the Memorandum launches the implementation of this action plan which has as a main objective the creation of a fully functioning and integrated energy market supported by the necessary infrastructures in order to strengthen energy security in the Baltic Sea Region. The Swedish presidency is expected to facilitate and give high priority to the concrete follow - up to the plan.
Effective interconnection of the Baltic region was identified as one of six priority energy infrastructure projects in the Second Strategic Energy Review adopted by the Commission in November 2008. The BEMIP and the extension of the Nordic electricity market model to the Baltic States are also designated as flagship projects in the Commission's contribution to the Baltic Sea Region that the Commission presented a week earlier, on 10 June.
The idea of a Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan was initiated last October by President Barroso at a similar pre-Council dinner. Soon after, a High Level Group was set up with members from the eight Baltic Sea states: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden and Poland; as well as from Norway as observer, chaired by Matthias Ruete, Director General of TREN. The Commission has facilitated the process and will now continue to monitor the BEMIP implementation. A first progress report will be presented in December 2009.
Several of the proposed BEMIP infrastructure projects are part of the European Economic Recovery Programme (EERP). This potentially means more than half a billion euros as additional support for the energy infrastructure projects in this region. This should be seen in complement to other existing financial support sources, such as cohesion fund, TEN-E programme etc.
TheBioenergySite News Desk
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