La liberalización del sector energético en Europa no ha conseguido dar el paso necesario para contar con herramientas que propicien una robusta fortaleza regional en lo que a seguridad energética se refiere. Lo que se emprendió en la década de los noventa (Directiva 96/92 sobre Normas Comunes para el Establecimiento del Mercado Interior Eléctrico ) con su máxima expresión en la elaboración de las directivas del 2003* y complementadas de una ruta de liberalización que ha tenido sus claros y oscuros.Algunos Estados miembros, han conseguido cumplir con sus deberes en el cumplimiento de los compromisos comunitarios en este rubro, varios de ellos son los ahora principales promotores de este fortalecimiento de la liberalización de los mercados de la energía. Sobretodo cuando se habla de electricidad y gas.
A mi me surgen dudas al desconocer, si antes que todo los europeos tendrían que resolver el gran pendiente que es ¨La Constitución Europea¨, y eso ¿ por que?, sencillo es el medio de poder certificar Lo que es la Unión Europea: sustancia, conceptos, instituciones definidas, ciudadanos, etc etc … sin ambigüedades o eufemismos. Pues, solo así se podrán ¨justificar¨, las grandes políticas que afectan el rumbo de los europeos. Profundizar la liberalización energética, requiere definir Órganos Reguladores, Operadores de Sistemas, Operadores de Mercado/s, etc … para que los buenos deseos no se remitan tan solo al papel.
Y si el fin de la liberalización, es la libre competencia. Según se percibe, persiste una vocacion ¨proteccionista¨, deseando limitar el margen operativo de empresas no europeas en territorio europeo, recuperando la posibilidad de ¨campeones europeos¨ y superando ( o deseando que sea asi) la de los campeones nacionales. Sin embargo, quienes se enarbolen en tales conceptos no se extrañen en contagiar ese sentimiento y propiciar ¨campeones americanos¨, ¨campeones asiaticos¨ y estar proyectando mas que áreas de libre competencia de mercado, en regiones con políticas proteccionistas. ¿ Lo mas importante es que piensa el ciudadano ? ¿ habra oportunidad para que en esta reforma energetica de dimension europea se impliquen todos los actores del sector ? Promete ser un proceso que tendra un largo periodo de ingenieria politica y cabildeo en el entramado industrial.
|by Manuel Torres Laveaga|
* Directiva 2003/55/CE del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo, de 26 de junio de 2003, sobre normas comunes para el mercado interior del gas natural.
Directiva 2003/54/CE del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo, de 26 de junio de 2003, sobre normas comunes para el mercado interior de la electricidad.
The European Commission confirmed it was drafting a key proposal aimed at liberalizing the energy sector in the 27-nation block despite opposition from some European countries, including Germany.
"If all goes well, the EC could take a decision regarding the unbundling of energy supplies on Sept. 19," commission spokesman for energy issues, Ferran Tarradellas, told journalists in Brussels on Thursday.
"Unbundling" is a model of separating production and distribution channels in the energy sector. According to this model, companies providing energy supplies -- oil, gas or electricity -- could not own and control transmission systems such as pipelines and cables at the same time.
"Choosing a gas or electricity provider is a fundamental right," Tarradellas said. "For that, asset separation is equally fundamental."
Free-market advocates have hailed asset separation as a move that would efficiently open up the monolithic energy market to free and fair competition and benefit consumers in the long term.
Two approaches
German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Thursday that the European Union's executive branch was considering two possible approaches to force big energy concerns to loosen their grip on bundled energy systems.
Under the first approach -- known as full ownership unbundling -- owners of distribution networks that are also energy producers would have to sell their networks to an independent third party or form a new separate business by splitting their shares.
The second approach foresees big energy companies retaining ownership of the networks, but forcing them to hire an independent system operator that would manage the networks and make investment decisions in exchange for an "appropriate" fee.
"If you want to guarantee that consumers can choose their energy supplier, that necessary investment is done, and that prices respond to market rules, you need strong measures to ensure real competition in the EU," Tarradellas said.
Opposition
Eight EU countries -- Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden -- already voiced their support for separation of assets in a letter to EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs in June.
In July, however, nine countries -- Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Latvia and Slovakia -- opposed the plan, claiming that unbundling did not guarantee a rise in investment and lower consumer prices. Concerns have been also raised about whether the separation of supply and distribution would make it easier for EU companies to fall under the control of non-European firms.
Unbundling is also not favored by Russia -- one of the EU's main energy suppliers -- which sees its practical monopoly over gas production and transmission as a key national security issue.
Proposal still lacking a majority
While, according to the AFP news agency, the European Commission does not, at the moment, have a qualified majority necessary to implement the plan, it has the backing of the European Parliament, which indicated in July that it was in favor of unbundling.
"We won't propose anything which cannot get a majority in the European Council," Tarradellas said.
EU energy ministers are expected to consider the proposal in October and reach a final decision sometime next year. In addition to unbundling, the commission is expected to propose setting transparency rules for energy sellers and buyers in order to boost control over wholesale energy prices.
A 2003 law requires EU member states have an independent national regulatory authority on energy matters. The commission, however, is planning to strengthen the role of a pan-European regulator, either by creating a new agency or giving a wider mandate to its existing advisory body, the European Regulators' Group for Electricity and Gas (ERGEG).
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