Notre Europe's viewpoint | 13/09/2007 

With the European Commission proposals for "unbundling" - in the technical jargon, separating the ownership and use of electricity and gas distribution and transmission networks from the production of energy - and the merger between GDF and Suez, the energy issue is back in the spotlight. Once again visible are the tensions underlying Member States' apparent willingness to advance European integration in this area.

Concentrating on more specific and innovative aspects of a European energy policy, Notre Europe has decided to take a different approach on energy matters.

Considering how difficult it is to get governments to coordinate further on energy matters, Notre Europe has decided to explore the possibility of experimenting with enhanced cooperation in the field of renewable electricity production. The conclusion is that things can be approached differently. Collective Power: Enhanced Cooperation as the Driver of a Common Tradable Green Certificate Market explores how EU countries that have domestic Tradable Green Certificate (TGC) markets could benefit considerably from merging these markets into a single scheme, using enhanced cooperation.

In Power to the People -Promoting Investment in Community-Owned and Micro-Scale Distributed Electricity Generation at the EU Level, Notre Europe decided to examine the potential for distributed energy generation owned by communities of locality. Our preliminary conclusion is clear: rather than only think of traditional, large-scale energy generation, EU governments can also encourage promoting small producers to join the market. Considering how the EU needs to invest some ‚¬900 billion in new electricity generation over the next 25 years, the benefits can be real.

Finally, Notre Europe publishes the English version of the report of the seminar What farming models for European societies in the 21st century?, which rounds off the first part of its work on the future of agriculture policy in the EU. This sociological study forms a part of Notre Europe's research on the new context within which the common agriculture policy will have to develop. Once a rural civilisation, Europe is now essentially urban. The CAP's original aims have been achieved and economic growth has ushered in broadly well off populations driven by concerns other than mere subsistence. But the Old Continent's agriculture will continue to have a fundamental cultural function, which gives agricultural policy decisions significant implications for identity and makes them particularly sensitive in terms of public support. Our task force "CAP 2013", comprising academics, politicians and representatives of the sector, met in Brussels at the Committee of the Regions on 10th September. Their work opens the second phase of the research programme and aims to make propositions for a new CAP.