The Parliament: Challenges Ahead for EU Energy Union Implementation, Warn MEPs

MEPs were quick to react after the commission outlined plans for an energy union last week. 

Martin Schulz, president of the parliament, was broadly supportive, saying, "the energy union is needed to reinforce the EU's stance ahead of the December Paris climate conference", adding that "current events highlight the urgency for the EU to increase energy security".

Jerzy Buzek, chair of parliament's industry, research and energy committee, commented, "an internal energy market with an excellent level of interconnection and without isolated 'energy islands' will enable us to help each other, guaranteeing energy supply to all regions".

The former parliament president noted that "stable, sustainable, affordable and competitive energy is a challenge which no EU member state is capable of meeting by itself".

He also stressed that "developments in relations with Russia might have been an impulse for us to shift up a gear in our energy considerations, but altering the EU's relations with Russia or any other party is not one of the energy union's goals".

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