The European Commission (EC) was poised to unveil a long awaited package of ener ...

The European Commission (EC) was poised to unveil a long awaited package of energy proposals as Petroleum Review went to press, although Brussels was expected to shy away from tabling wholesale unbundling of gas producers and distributors, writes Keith Nuthall. This follows tough pressure from member states such as France and Belgium against such liberalisation. In other EU news: *The EC has been pushing ahead with its plans to appoint coordinators to encourage the development of some key international energy projects within Europe. Brussels has placed former Dutch Foreign Minister Jozias Johannes van Aartsen as coordinator, heading the Nabucco gas pipeline project linking Turkey to Austria through Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. The first coordinator for a gas project, he will offer advice and strategic support to companies and governments building the pipeline. *The EC is prepared to spend freely on boosting the EU solar energy market to make it commercially viable. In a report, Brussels said it would draw funds from its Seventh Framework Programme for research, regional development programmes and others. *A report from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for the EC has pressed for simplifying bureaucratic procedures demanded of renewable energy producers wishing to connect to national grids. It has suggested the creation of ‘one stop agencies for submitting applications’, plus the ‘streamlining and simplification of complex procedures’. *A European parliament Foreign Affairs Committee report has called for the creation of an EU ‘High Official of Foreign Energy Policy’, to coordinate the EU's international energy activities and programmes. It also recommends energy diversification within the EU and increased energy efficiency to improve energy security. *The parliament’s Industry Committee has called for the EU and member states to increase research into carbon capture and sequestration technologies to help Europe consume fossil fuel energy sources, easing security of supply problems while renewable sources are developed. *Meanwhile, the parliament’s Environment Committee has backed the EC in pressing the EU automobile industry to abide by mandatory carbon dioxide (CO2) emission limits. The Committee called for CO2 emissions from passenger cars to be capped at an average of 120g/km from 2012. *The EC has approved the acquisition of sole control of Italian natural gas supplier Energie Investimenti by GdF International, part of Gaz de France. Brussels imposed no conditions on the deal. *The EC has also cleared the acquisition of joint control of photovoltaic solar panel silicon manufacturer Hycore of Norway by energy group Norsk Hydro and materials company Umicore of Belgium. *The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has thrown out a contested EC demand that Greece’s Olympic Airways pay VAT on aviation fuel that it had avoided paying through a national government exemption. Brussels’ order had ‘lacked a statement of reasons’, ruled judges.