Danger of using energy supplies as an instrument of political pressure

Recommendation 1779 (2007)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 23 January 2007 (4th Sitting) (see Doc. 11116, report of the Political Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Mr Mihkelson). Text adopted by the Assembly on 23 January 2007 (4th Sitting).

Thesaurus

1. Referring to its Resolution 1531 (2007) on the danger of using energy supplies as an instrument of political pressure, the Parliamentary Assembly considers it essential for the Organisation to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and free market principles as regards the security of energy supplies.

2. Therefore, the Parliamentary Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

2.1 launch a pan-European think-tank to engage a dialogue on energy security in Europe with a view to establishing a common strategy based on solidarity and respect for market economy principles and the interests of all parties concerned;

2.2 formulate guiding principles for such a strategy, addressing such questions as diversification, transport, transparency of prices, modernisation and construction of infrastructure, improved energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy;

2.3 invite all member states to participate in the establishment of a pan-European strategy to promote a new common policy, speaking with a single voice on energy questions;

2.4 organise a pan-European conference on this subject;

2.5 urge the Council of Europe member states to:

2.5.1 honour their international commitments in the field of energy;

2.5.2 refrain from using energy supplies as an instrument of political pressure;

2.5.3 sign and ratify the Energy Charter Treaty if they have not yet done so;

2.5.4 show maximum good will towards the completion of the Energy Charter Treaty transit protocol;

2.5.5 observe market economy principles (fair competition, transparency, non-discriminatory transit) in the energy sector;

2.5.6 encourage the use of renewable energies on their national energy markets;

2.5.7 do more to develop measures aimed at increasing energy efficiency in industry, transport and services;

2.5.8 allow third-party access to their pipeline network;

2.5.9 engage in a serious pan-European dialogue on security in the energy sector in Europe;

2.5.10 liberalise and integrate their own energy markets within the European energy market and speed up the elimination of missing links, which are also essential for avoiding power cuts or interruptions;

2.6 study, within the framework of a special conference of the Council of Europe, the Eurasian Economic Community idea to create a common energy space, with a view to the possible participation of all member states of the Council of Europe.

3. The Assembly is aware that securing real competition and establishing a genuine energy market in Europe depend on diversifying imported energy sources, which in turn helps to reduce the danger of energy supplies’ being used as an instrument of political pressure. In this connection, the Assembly asks the European Union and the European Investment Bank to promote, and give priority to, European projects which pursue this aim, as was done for the Nabucco gas pipeline.