Does Europe Need a Common Energy Policy?
The European Commission issued a March 2006 Green Paper, A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy, as a basis for discussing the opportunity to set up a common European energy policy. When considering the diversity of ""energy sensitivity"" among member states and the upsurge in government-sponsored protectionism, the idea of a common energy policy may appear unrealistic. However, there is much that unites the views of member states regarding a vision of their common energy future. This common ground, which strongly emphasizes security of energy supply, could be strengthened in line with a deeper and more effective implementation of the market liberalization framework. In addition, European foreign policy leaves room for a wide variety of energy initiatives and actions, yet with the 25 countries speaking with a single voice.
