African energy potential

4.3.2015

Question for written answer E-003583-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Françoise Grossetête (PPE)

According to the UN, 80% of the world's population has access to electricity, but the figure is as low as 30% in Africa. More specifically, of the 1.2 billion people in the world who did not have electricity access in 2014, 589 million of them were Africans.

According to a study by the French Institute for International Relations, however, Africa's energy potential is clear: it has 10% of the world's economically viable hydroelectric reserves, nearly 10% of the world's oil reserves and 8% of the world's coal reserves.

According to a Commission communication of 25 February 2015 on the energy union package, the EU ‘will use all external policy instruments to ensure that a strong, united EU engages constructively with its partners and speaks with one voice on energy and climate’, and the Commission will ‘strengthen EU energy cooperation with third countries’ in particular.

In the light of the above, does the Commission plan to strengthen the many energy partnerships already concluded with African countries and encourage those countries to run smart electricity grids as a means of overcoming the obstacles to their development?