After months of talking about the need to liberalize the electricity sector, of weakening the powers of the mega monopolies and of separating generation and transmission assets, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission has had to go back to the drawing board, after France and Germany called him to attention.
It seems that the mega monopolies Electricite de France (EDF), Gaz de France (GdF), E.ON y RWE, and getting bigger with mergers in the pipeline, are well protected by their governments and Mr. Barroso has gone along quietly.
In theory, the European Commission represents the 25 member states. In practice, the Commission still takes its marching orders from France and Germany.
He should take up an office in one of the ministries in Paris or Berlin, that way he would finish earlier and travel less.
Onésimo Alvarez-Moro
See article:
France and Germany have joined forces to block a radical shake-up of Europe’s energy market – a move that will prevent some of the region’s biggest power companies being broken up.
José Manuel Barroso, European Commission president, has been told that Paris and Berlin will not accept the forced dismantling of groups such as Eon and RWE of Germany, and EdF and GdF of France.
Mr Barroso’s team is now preparing a more modest proposal for publication in January to break open Europe’s energy market, but insist they are still determined to expose the big national champions to greater competition.
Neelie Kroes, the EU competition commissioner, has argued that the “absolute priority” should be to split up companies that supply energy while owning infrastructure, such as power grids and interconnectors.
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