Mr. President,
It is a good sign for Europe that the European Council has adopted the Energy action plan for 2007-2009. It has thus made the first step to founding the common energy policy, a half-step, though.
The summit has acknowledged that Europe is far away from a competitive and joint internal energy market, it has, nevertheless, not supported full unbundling of energy companies, which is a necessary instrument to achieving the internal market.
Integration without any barriers in the energy sector leads to the creation of large economic complex, which are very strong economically and politically in any country. This enables them to influence politics not only on the national, but also on the European level, as we have recently begun to experience. The energy field is thus less competitive and, therefore, less effective than it could be.
No less dangerous effect of this situation is the security threat. Penetration of the Russian state owned property into these giant companies would mean an economic, and mainly political disaster, especially for countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Property unbundling of energy companies and transparent market rules for everyone in Europe, together with a common approach of all European countries in the outer energy policy, would improve the energy market situation, make the inner policies of the member states more transparent and would lower considerably the foreign affairs and security risks not only for the member states but also for the Union on the whole.