IP/06/1580
Ministers agree on concrete measures for the development of the energy market

Brussels, Belgium – EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and the Macedonian Minister of Economy Vera Rafajlovska chaired in Skopje 2006-11-17 the first meeting of the Energy Ministers of the Energy Community, after the entry into force of its founding treaty.. The Ministerial Council reiterated the commitment of all the Parties towards market reforms and agreed upon concrete national roadmaps – outlining the current status, the coming tasks and the responsible institutions of each country – for the development of the energy market.

"The importance of this Treaty to the momentum of reconciliation that is rapidly gathering in this region is undeniable" said Mr. Piebalgs, adding "the Treaty asks not for commitments to do things in the future, but for each of the states to do things now and to concentrate on the necessary reforms of energy policy".

The Treaty establishing the Energy Community entered into force earlier this year and has been ratified by all Parties. It provides a new framework for co-operation in the energy sector between South and East Europe and the European Community on the basis of EU energy related legislation. Its aim is to harmonise the functioning and development of the energy market in order to improve the security of supply for all citizens of the countries involved.

On the occasion of the meeting, the Parties granted Observer status to four applicant countries: Moldova, Norway, Turkey and Ukraine thus marking their commitment to implement the principles of the Energy Community Treaty. The Parties also adopted the Energy Community Work Programme outline and reiterated the importance of the social dimension for the Energy Community. The active involvement of the Donors’ Community under the chairmanship of the European Community was also considered crucial for the success of the initiative.