Text tabled : A6-0216/2009

  Teresa Riera Madurell (PSE), in writing. − (ES) We in the Spanish socialist delegation have argued for the model of ownership unbundling of vertically integrated companies both in gas and in electricity, because we believe that separating supply/generation companies from transport companies gives a real choice to European consumers and stimulates the investment that is needed in this sector, meaning that energy will be able to reach all of the EU territory without interruptions. However, I voted for the internal market gas and electricity package because:

(1) consumers’ interests have been placed at the heart of the revision of the legislative package;

(2) we have included the concept of energy poverty and have called on the Member States to include steps to tackle energy poverty in the national energy action plans and not only to make sure that the most vulnerable customers receive the energy they need, but also to ban the disconnection of these customers at critical times; and

(3) since ownership unbundling will be a reality within a few years through the anti-trust proceedings taken by the Directorate General for Competition, we have placed the emphasis on institutional architecture, strengthening the responsibilities of the new European agency and the independence of the national regulatory bodies.