6 March 2015: The EU Energy Council met to discuss the European Commission’s plans for an ‘Energy Union’ for the EU. Held under the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE) of the Council of the EU, the meeting focused on issues including energy security, energy efficiency, decarbonization and the internal energy market.

During the Energy Council meeting, held on 5 March 2015, ministers from the 28 EU member States exchanged views on the ‘Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy,’ launched on 25 February by the European Commission.

Ministers signaled strong support to the Commission’s strategy, and indicated that the Energy Union should strike a balance between: affordable energy; safe and secure energy systems; European competitiveness; sustainability; and the transition towards a more climate-friendly economy.

Outcomes of the meeting will be delivered to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk (Poland), and will serve as a contribution to the European Council meeting to be held in Brussels, Belgium, from 19-20 March, where Heads of State and Government are expected to endorse the Energy Union.

The meeting also discussed energy infrastructure, welcoming the Commission’s communication from 25 February, which lays out a plan to achieve a 10% electricity interconnection between the EU member States by 2020, and adopted a regulation on the monitoring of reporting and verification of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from maritime transport. The outcome of the energy infrastructure debate will feed into the EU Presidency’s synthesis report on the ‘Europe 2020′ economic strategy.

On 6 March, EU environment ministers discussed the climate change policy aspects of the proposed Energy Union framework, with a focus on its decarbonisation-related elements. Views from this meeting will be similarly delivered to the President of the European Council as input to the March European Council Meeting. [European Commission Press Release] [EU Report on the Energy Council Meeting] [IISD RS Story on the Energy Union Strategy]