Energy: agreement on energy interconnections between Portugal, Spain and France

24.3.2015

Question for written answer E-004606-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Elisa Ferreira (S&D) , Ana Gomes (S&D) , Carlos Zorrinho (S&D) , Ricardo Serrão Santos (S&D) , Pedro Silva Pereira (S&D)

Meeting on 4 March 2015 in Madrid, with the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker acting as mediator, Portugal, Spain and France gave an undertaking to achieve the European interconnection target of at least 10% of existing electricity capacity by 2020. The agreement between Portugal and Spain provides for an interconnection level of 11% in 2016 and 15% in 2020.

These very welcome decisions follow others that have not been acted on.

In March 2002, the Barcelona European Council set 2005 as the deadline for achieving this 10% target.

12 years later, in October 2014, the European Council decided that the target needed to be achieved ‘as a matter of urgency’ in the countries that had not yet reached this level of interconnection, referring in particular to the Baltic States, Portugal and Spain.

1. How can the Commission ensure that these agreements, which are essential for the European internal energy market, do not share the fate of previous agreements and fall by the wayside under pressure from lobbies?

2. Given that the internal energy market is a priority goal for the European Union, what level of European commitment and funding will these projects be able to secure, in particular through the EFSI?