"The starting point for a European energy policy is threefold: the fight against climate change, the promotion of employment and development, and finally the reduction in the EU’s dependency on oil and gas imports". In presenting the guidelines, in Brussels today, of the future commitment of the EU on the energy and environmental front, the EU Commission had to deal as dictated by these days’ news with the problems of the relations with the supplier countries, first and foremost Russia, the ecologic problems and the respect of the Kyoto Protocol, the subjects of nuclear energy and renewable sources. Many are the documents, investigations and proposals that have been submitted by the president of the Executive José Manuel Barroso, the Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, the Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes and the Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. The submitted texts included the final report on the survey about competition in the area of energy, according to which "consumers and companies pay for the cost of ineffective and expensive gas and electricity markets". The most outstanding problems include: "High levels of market concentration, the vertical integration of supplies, production and infrastructure, which determines unequal access, as well as poor investments in infrastructure". (to be continued)” “
