EU for stronger energy ties with India

Malaysia Sun (IANS) Sunday 11th March, 2007

India is among the select countries with which the 27-member European Union (EU) wants to deepen cooperation in the energy sector.

A two-day EU spring summit said at its concluding session Friday that the development of a common EU approach to the external energy policy has to be speeded up, according to an INEP report.

One essential element to raise a common voice of the EU in support of the energy policy objectives is 'strengthening partnership and cooperation building on the bilateral energy dialogues with the USA as well as with China, India and Brazil', the EU noted in a statement.

EU leaders said they want to negotiate and finalise partnership and cooperation agreement with Russia and intensify the EU relationship with Central Asia, the Caspian and the Black Sea regions, with a view to further diversifying sources and routes.

In an historic decision towards a common energy policy, EU leaders agreed to use 20 percent renewable energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2020.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the summit, German Chancellor and current EU Council President Angela Merkel said they had endorsed a binding target of a 20 percent share of renewable energies such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power in EU energy consumption by 2020.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso spoke of 'historic results' and said: 'The world will be watching. Europe can take ambitious decisions. You should join us fighting climate change.'