EU states should pool details of energy deals, summit draft says

Jan 18, 2011, 15:39 GMT

Brussels - European Union member states should share the details of any energy deals they have made or intend to make with third countries in a bid to strengthen the bloc's bargaining power, according to draft papers prepared for February 4 summit.

The EU is trying to limit its reliance on foreign suppliers, especially Russia, for its energy needs. So far, each member state and company has negotiated its own deals, but officials say such a strategy reduces the bloc's leverage.

'Member states are invited to inform the (European) Commission of all new and existing bilateral energy agreements from January 1, 2012,' reads a draft summit declaration prepared by top EU officials and seen by the German Press Agency dpa.

'The commission will make this information available to all other member states in an appropriate form, having regard to the need for protection of commercially sensitive information,' the draft reads.

The commission is the EU's executive and is based in Brussels.

The idea behind the proposal appears to be to give each EU state a stronger position when negotiating with non-EU suppliers. EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has in the past called for the bloc to pool its resources to strengthen its bargaining power.

But even with the caveat on protecting commercial information, it is likely to provoke debate among member states keen to stand up for their national energy companies and unwilling to share information on what some see as a question of national security.

EU diplomats and politicians are set to debate the draft in the run-up to the summit, and could yet change the text.