IP/06/1514
Brussels, 6 November 2006
Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs reacts to Saturday's blackouts A serious incident on the continental European electricity network on Saturday lead to blackouts over most of the system. The precise reasons why this happened are presently being examined by the Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE) and more information is expected to be provided later today. Commissioner Piebalgs stated that "whilst these blackouts lasted for relatively short periods of time, they are unacceptable. The EU needs an internal market based on the very highest levels of system security. These incidents show, once again, that events in one part of Europe impact on other parts and again confirm the need for a proper European energy policy. Energy security is better delivered through a common European approach rather than 27 different approaches."
I have written to UCTE as well as to the European Transmission System Operators (ETSO) requesting that they rapidly establish the precise cause of the blackout and establish the measures that will be taken to ensure that it does not reoccur. In addition, I have asked the European Regulators Group to meet as soon as possible to provide a report to the Commission on the lessons to be learned from this event.
However, this also demonstrates that the existing situation regarding network security in Europe needs to be strengthened. It must be a key part of the European Energy Policy to be announced by the Commission at the beginning of next year. In particular I intend to propose to the College (i) that a formal European grouping of Transmission System Operators be created at EU level which will have the task of putting forward common positions on issues identified by the Commission and in particularly network security standards, (ii) institute a mechanism to ensure that these standards are formally binding on network operators and (iii) propose a European Priority Interconnection Plan to make quicker progress on ensuring that essential new interconnectors are built."
