In a communiqué issued on 18th March 2011, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls on the European Union to consider the security of its energy supply as one of the priorities of its external policy. The recommendation is one of the results of an Opinion on energy supply and neighbourhood policy commissioned by the current Hungarian EU presidency.

In the Opinion, the Committee also recommends the appointment of ahigh representative for energy policy to ensure that Europe speaks withone voice in this area.

For Stéphane Buffetaut (Employers' Group, France), President of theTransport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society Sectionof the EESC, “it is a matter of great concern that the EU isincreasingly dependent on undemocratic and unstable areas; in the longterm, this could create many difficulties for the overall security ofthe EU.”

According to the communiqué, the EESC urged the EU to strengthen itsstrategic partnerships with supplier countries as well as to advanceits policy towards neighbouring countries through which most energysupplies transit, for example by supporting the countries of theEastern Partnership and having structured cooperation withMediterranean countries.

The EESC has also asked the Commission to explore the feasibility of anEU energy treaty that would put energy on a new institutional footingand complete the provisions of the Lisbon treaty.

The Opinion is one of the items to be debated at an EESC conference onenergy security to be held in Pécs (Hungary) on 29th April 2011.

http://www.energy.eu