News

Friday, March 14, Brussels – President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus attended the closing session of the European Council meeting. Heads of the European states agreed on the guidelines for the new stage of implementation of the Lisbon strategy and on further actions in the fields of energy and climate change.

“European Council conclusions reflected an approach particularly important to Lithuania in the effort to strengthen energy security and external energy policy of the EU and individual Member States,” stressed President Adamkus.

The Council agreed on the need to make a deeper assessment of further actions in this field. Already this November, the European Commission shall submit an assessment of a strategic document concerning the security of supply, the necessary interconnections and further actions towards the development of an external energy policy. The European Council shall adopt the relevant decisions by the next spring.

On the onset of a new stage of implementation of the Lisbon strategy, Heads of the European states recognised the need to make more effort to guarantee a reliable supply of strategic energy resources.

They agreed on the importance of an efficient and integrated EU internal energy market as a prerequisite for a reliable energy supply. They also acknowledged the need to accelerate the construction of the required energy bridges.

President Adamkus reiterated the problems faced by isolated energy markets and called on the European Commission to consider new projects in this field, especially in the gas sector.